Dubai: A merchant has been accused of profanity when he cursed God in a loud voice at a check-in counter before boarding a plane back to his country.

The 27-year-old Saudi merchant, A.A., was said to have approached the check-in counter wanting to board the plane when a Moroccan ground staff asked him to go drink coffee because he [A.A.] was too drunk in January.

The merchant went for five minutes and returned. When the Moroccan asked him to go drink more coffee, according to records, A.A. got angry and cursed God and cursed the staffer at the Dubai International Airport.

Prosecutors accused the Saudi man of profanity.

When the suspect showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance, he pleaded not guilty and firmly refuted the accusation on Thursday.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said A.A. spoke with disdain about a religion and cursed God.

“I was drunk but I did not use any profane language,” the suspect told presiding judge Urfan Omar.

His lawyer asked the court to adjourn the hearing to hear prosecution witnesses and submit his defence argument.

The Moroccan staffer testified to prosecutors that the incident happened after he requested the merchant to go and drink coffee because he was too drunk.

“The suspect had been scheduled to fly on a trip heading to Al Qaseem. He was heavily drunk when he approached the check-in counter and collect his boarding pass. I asked him to go drink coffee. He returned after five minutes and was still smelt of alcohol. I asked him to go another time and drink more coffee … then he suddenly punched me and cursed me. He cursed my father and called me bad names … then he cursed God. I did not respond and instantly called the police,” he claimed.

Records said the Moroccan dropped his charges of assault and insult against the Saudi.

The suspect was quoted as admitting to prosecutors that he was drunk when the incident happened.

He was cited as claiming that he did not remember what had happened after he drank coffee at a cafe near the check-in counter.

Presiding judge Omar adjourned the case until August 11.