Health centre staff attacked with knife

Two jobless Emiratis allegedly attempted to rob a health centre after threatening its staff with a knife and a sword, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.
 
On March 17, at around midnight, two clients entered the health centre on Dubai’s Al Riqqa Street.
 
“After sitting at the centre for about five minutes, the two took out a knife and a sword and began to talk to me,” JH, 29, Chinese, who is a partner-investor in the centre.
 
As JH did not understand what the two were telling him, one of the clients intervened to translate.
 
“The two asked me to pay them Dh300 weekly against offering protection. I refused their offer and asked them to leave,” he said.
 
At that time, one of the centre’s staff called HM, who is also a partner-investor, and reported what was happening to her.
 
HM came along with some other men to the centre. “The two attackers were holding knives and attempting to break a drawer,” he said.
 
HM managed to leave the centre together with the men and informed the police.
 
“I tried hard to prevent them from breaking the drawer which contained more than Dh6,200. One of the attackers pointed a knife at my neck, ordering me to move away. When I refused, the other attacker rushed to the female staff and threatened to hurt them with his knife.
 
“HM turned back and a friend accompanying her asked me to pay the attackers Dh200 and so I did. However, the amount was not enough for them. After taking the money, they resumed trying to break the drawer until police arrived,” JH told investigators.
 
Police arrested MA, 21 and MM, 22, and confiscated the knife and sword they used in attacking the centre’s owners and staff.
 
The Dubai Prosecution asked the court to award the stiffest possible penalty against the accused.
 
The court will give its verdict on October 25.

 

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