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28 March 2024

Visitor drives away cab after refusing to pay fare

Published
By Eman Al Baik

A Nigerian visitor allegedly assaulted a taxi driver after refusing to pay the fare and then drove away with the vehicle, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

SLO, 30, is accused of assaulting Hawi Jaji, driver, and attempting to steal a Dubai Taxi car.

On September 21, SLO stopped the taxi on Khalid bin Al Waleed Street and asked the driver to drop him in the Frij Murar area of Deira.

“On the way, the passenger asked me to go back to Palm Beach Hotel on Khalid bin Al Waleed Street. I drove back and when I reached there, he got down from the car and walked away without paying the taxi fare of Dh19. I ran after him and asked him for the money. He put his hand into his pocket and I thought that he was going to pay. Instead, he punched me in my left eye, rushed to the car whose engine was running and drove away with the vehicle. I called the police and was rushed to the hospital,” testified Jaji, 28, Ethiopian.

Corporal Zafer Abdul Qader testified that he got a call from the operation room about the incident. “While driving to the scene, I was asked to head to Port Rashid as another police patrol had stopped the car thief and was asking for support as he is a big man and also drunk. I went to the location and helped in arresting him.”

The court adjourned the case for verdict until January 30.