The Criminal Court has sentenced a housemaid to jail for one year in a theft case, local Arabic daily Al Sharq has reported.
The court has also ordered her deportation on completion of the prison term, according to the report.
The sponsor of the housemaid had submitted a notice to the Capital Security Department, alleging that the latter had stolen QR50,000 and an expensive watch from her bedroom. The police recorded the statement of the complainant, who said she had advertised in newspapers that she needed a housemaid. In response, a man called her up and said he could arrange for one, the report stated.
Accordingly, a housemaid started working at the complainant’s house but disappeared after some time. While checking her money and jewellery, the sponsor realised that some cash and a watch were missing, the report said.
The police were able to trace the person who had brought the housemaid and questioned him about the whereabouts of the accused. The man revealed that he used to provide employment to runaway housemaids but claimed that he did not know anything about the whereabouts of this particular housemaid, according to the report.
The housemaid was eventually tracked down and captured. She was taken to the court by the Public Prosecution with a plea for punishing her under Articles 1 and 341 of the Penal Law. During interrogation, she claimed that she took QR36,000 and three watches and that she gave the money to the man - who had initially taken her to work in the complainant’s house - in order to return it to her, the report added.
The court sentenced the woman to one year in jail after considering the fact that she was young and had shown remorse and pleaded for mercy, according to the report.