Billionaire Wissam Al Mana, husband of famous popstar Janet Jackson, signed the letter of resignation for Marte Dalelv (24) after she reported being raped in Dubai.
The 6th of March this year Dalelv reported a colleague for rape while on a business trip in Dubai. Earlier this week, Dalelv was sentenced to 16 months in prison after being convicted for having extramarital sex, drinking alcohol without permission and giving false statement to the police.
- Dubai is presented as a paradise, like everything is nice. But it's not like that, says the 24 year old woman from Tønsberg, Norway to the newspaper VG.
The 6th of March this year she reported a colleague for rape. But Tuesday this week, Dalelv was sentenced to 16 months in prison after being convicted for having extramarital sex and for drinking alcohol without permission.
The nightmare started when she attended a work trip to Dubai with her colleagues in the Qatar based interior company she worked for.
Woke up being raped
The last night in Dubai she went out on the town with female colleagues from Norway. A couple of their Qatari male colleagues also joined them.
- The morning after I woke up being raped, my clothes were taken off and I was lying on my stomach, Dalelv explains. When she went to the police to report the assault, they didn't believe her.
- Two hours after being raped the police asked me: "Did you come to us because you didn't like it?". I then realized that they did not believe me, she says.
Took her passport
For four days she was detained in a prison cell, charged for having extramarital sex.
- They took my money, my purse and my passport before locking me in the prison cell. It was freezing cold in there, without enough places to sleep for everyone.
Dalelv was lucky enough to borrow a phone to call her parents and tell them what happened.
- I told my father rapidly: "I have been raped. I am in prison. You have to call the embassy. I am at the Burj Dubai station".
Her appeal hearing is scheduled for the 5th of September, and until then she is stuck in Dubai with the status "wanted". This means she will be arrested if she gets in touch with the police again.
«Unacceptable and improper behavior»
Ms. Dalelv received a letter from her employer Al Mana Interiors three weeks after she reported the rape, informing her that she was suspended from her position, effective immediately.
The ninth of april she got a new shocking letter: Her contract was terminated due to «unacceptable and improper behavior». This time it was the company's managing director, Mr. Wissam Al Mana, who himself signed the letter.
Got married
Al Mana and popstar Janet Jackson, the sister of Michael Jackson, got married in 2012. When they confirmed the marriage this February the news went worldwide.
«Last year we were married in a quiet, private and beautiful ceremony», the couple wrote in a statement to the press.
- I think a man's dream woman changes as he goes through different stages in his life. I'm fortunate to be dating my dream woman now, he told Harper's Bazaar in 2010 according to Gulf News.
Sacked by a billionaire
Wissam Al Mana is a businesstycoon in Qatar who is believed to be worth one billion dollars. His company has worked together, amongst others, with the luxury brand Hermès on opening a high-end story in Doha, according to Trends Magazine, an international magazine about arab business, who wrote an article about Al Mana in 2009.
Al Mana Interiors in Doha and their role as a franchisee in the interior chain The One Total Home Experience is also mentioned in the article. Dalelv got recruited through The One for the job in Dubai, and on The One's website Al Mana Interiors is promoted as The One's Doha-store.
The One is owned by the swedish bussinessman Thomas Lundgren, which has recruited several Norwegians to work for him and their franchisees in the Gulf-countries. Mr. Lundgren has not replied VGs repeated attempts to get a comment.
Removed Facebook-pagesOn their Facebook-page Qatar-based Al Mana Interiors informs that the company is led by the Saleh Al Mana-group, which is owned by the three brothers Hisham, Kamal and Wissam Saleh Al Mana.
This was also confirmed in a statement to the press in 2010. The brothers owns over 50 different companies in the Gulf-region, Wissam Al Mana informs in an interview to Gfconoisseur.
Other companies in the Saleh Al Mana-group do sales of cares, cosmetics and real estate.
The Facebook-page of Al Mana Interiors have been removed since Friday morning and the company has not given any statements. The same goes for the Facebook-page of The One.
Personally signed the letter
Al Mana writes the following in the letter he personally signed:
Dear Ms. Dalelv,
Further the suspension letter notified to you on 20th March 2013, we hereby inform you that you employment with Al Mana Interiors W.L.L. is terminated for misconduct and breach of your employment duties, effective immediately.
As mentioned is the suspension letter dated 20th March 2013, your employment agreement is termination due to your unacceptable and improper behavior during your last business trip in Dubai, which has resulted in your arrest by the Police Authorities in UAE.
The full and final settlement of any outstanding benefits can be discussed wih Mr. XXXX XXXXXX. At the same time, you are requested to hand in any company property given to you on account of company work.
The present letter has been given in accordance with article 61 of the Qatar Labour Law no 14 of (2004), and a copy of which will be submitted to the Labour Department, for their records.
Sincerely,
Wissam Al Mana Managing Director
Reporters have not recieved any comments from Al Mana Interiors or Wissam Al Mana, despite repeated requests.
So ONTD, to what extent do you think guests in other countries should follow the local law?
>>>and the alledged rapist? was convicted for pre-marital sex as well, but got a shorter sentence.
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