Victim says assailant wanted his organs

MJ, an Egyptian, was stabbed nine times in an attack in Mussafah by his compatriot around the kidney region.

ABU DHABI // A stabbing victim told a court yesterday that be believes his assailant wanted to harvest his organs. MJ, an Egyptian, was stabbed nine times in an attack in Mussafah. Another Egyptian, identified as TI, who works at Abu Dhabi International Airport, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. "The reason [for the attack] is most likely organ trade," the victim told prosectutors. "He wanted to sell my organs because he stabbed me close to the kidney."

Forensic tests showed traces of the victim's blood on the airport worker's belt, according to police. Three months ago, according to court testimony, TI told the victim that he and his cousin were launching a company and wanted to hire him for three days for Dh5,000 (US$1,400) to paint a building. After a few days, the victim asked TI to lend him Dh600, which TI said he would give him at a meeting with a friend in Mussafah.

The victim said that, after taking a taxi from the Corniche, "we walked for a short while [and] he turned to me and said: 'Do you know why I brought you here?' I was surprised but laughed and told him 'to meet [your] friend'." He said MJ produced a knife and "stabbed me on the left side of my chest and then on my shoulders from the back. Then I fell down". He said he managed to pull himself to his feet and run to a nearby guard booth where a security guard called police. The accused denied they had gone to Mussafah, saying: "He made up the story. I never went with him to Mussafah and he has no proof that I did." He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. @Email:[e-mail]