Here are some news stories from the past couple of days.

Woman’s complaint lands her in trouble

AN angry woman walked into a police station to file a complaint against a “lover” she feared had infected her with Aids – only to find herself charged with having illicit relations.
Police officers were shocked when the Filipina voluntarily came to the station to inform them she had been having an affair with her boss. It later transpired that the furious woman had no idea that such relations were illegal in Qatar.
The woman attempted to file a complaint against her boss, a Spanish national of Indian origin, on September 22.
The 23-year-old woman had been warned by a female compatriot – a housemaid in the man’s house – that she saw anti-Aids medication in his bedroom.
Shocked by the thought that she may have unwittingly contracted the disease, the young woman went to the police.
After taking her statement, the police referred the matter to the Public Prosecution and the 42-year-old boss was summoned to answer the allegations.
Realising her mistake, the “plaintiff” later tried to withdraw the complaint, but the police told her that it was no longer her decision to make.
When the boss spoke to investigators, he denied a relationship and said the medicines in his room belonged to his wife who suffered from urinary tract problems.
An Aids test later confirmed the man did not have the disease – nor did the “plaintiff.”
As a result of the Filipina’s report to the police, the two recently appeared in court where they pleaded not guilty.
The man’s lawyer claims his client is the victim of a malicious vendetta carried out by the Filipina after she was sacked from her job.
The trial has been adjourned to December 25.

Kissing lands couple in trouble

A ‘MARRIED’ couple was sentenced in absentia to a year in prison for kissing in public and conducting an illicit relationship.
The Muslim woman and her Christian ‘husband’, both from Lebanon, skipped the country before the trial concluded after being told the State did not recognise their marriage, which took place in Cyprus.
Despite their inter-faith union not being an issue in their home country, Doha authorities ruled it unlawful – even though the woman was apparently given a residence visa based on the sponsorship of her ‘husband’.
The couple landed in trouble after a Qatari family called the police to complain they were kissing on the Corniche in April.
The police officer who attended the call said he found the two in an “indecent position” and when he confronted them, the woman screamed that they were married.
The officer insisted that their marital status bore no relevance to the offence.
During interrogation, the arrested man, 27, claimed he had done nothing more than place his hand on the shoulder of his 24-year-old ‘wife’ who had arrived in Qatar 10 days earlier. She told the public prosecution that she did not realise that such an act was illegal in Qatar.
It was during their trial that the tricky subject of the pair’s marriage came up for debate.
The couple presented their marriage certificate to the court. However, it was ruled to be invalid in Qatar.
The court admitted that a residence visa had been issued based on the fact that the two were husband and wife, but the country had the right to cancel that at any time if information came to light requiring such action.
The court also admitted there was no evidence of malicious intent to hide the couple’s differing religions and that their documents were authentic. However, the court made it clear that Qatar could not accept the marriage within the constraints of its own laws.
The couple’s lawyer said there would be no appeal lodged against the verdict as his clients had left the country after a travel ban had been lifted.