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Sharjah: A resident is in prison and has to pay a fine of Dh50,000 for employing a housemaid who was not on his sponsorship, police told Gulf News.

Police said the Egyptian is being detained at Sharjah Central Jail since last week. "The employer and the maid's sponsor are facing charges of offending the residency law and trafficking in humans," police said.

Police said the employer will also face jail for beating, abusing and starving the maid for several days.

Gulf News had earlier reported that Akluma Khatoon Rahim, 17, a Bangladeshi, came to work in the UAE three months ago.

She said that when she arrived, a man picked her up from the airport and took her to his house, where she met his wife and two children. She said she was beaten, starved and verbally abused by her Egyptian employer.

Akluma said the abuse was unbearable, but she was forced to tolerate it to support her poor family back home. The family later kicked her out because she was too weak to work.

The case was earlier being investigated by Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD), which transferred it to the public prosecutor.

SNRD officials said Akluma was sponsored by an Emirati from Fujairah.

"Her visa was issued from Fujairah. The day after she was kicked out by the Egyptian family, the sponsor reported her as absconding," an SNRD official said.

Akluma is also in jail for working for someone other than the sponsor.

"We know it is not her fault and that she came here to work without knowing who her sponsor is," said an official from SNRD.

The official said the case is now being investigated by public prosecutor and the court.

"I hope that she will go back home soon," he said

Akluma was spotted by passersby two weeks ago on Al Khan Road near Al Qasba area. She was sitting on the side of the road with her small bag next to her. She was weeping and barely able to speak out of exhaustion. She had not eaten for many days.

Akluma said that she used to work for an Egyptian family in a building on Al Khan Road. "They kicked me out without any money. I have no place to go," she had said.

"I do not know the name of my employer, but I do know the wife's name. They have two children," said Akluma, who can identify the building where she worked.

"My family are poor and I had to tolerate all the pain to support them. My father paid more than Dh7,000 to send me here. He paid the money to a person who sent me the visa," she had said.

Residents of the area later took Akluma to Buhaira police station. Police said she should be taken to Al Kuwait hospital for a check-up to prove she was beaten.

The young maid spent one night at the electricity room in a nearby building before going to the SNRD.

While Akluma's age in her passport is 20, her real age is 17. "My father changed my age in my passport," she said.

Source: Copyright © 2009 Gulfnews.com. All rights reserved.