Dubai: A police lieutenant was sentenced to three months in jail for obtaining under duress a Dh105,000 cheque from a businessman after unlawfully detaining him in police confinement following a commercial disagreement.

The police lieutenant, S.H., confined the Indian businessman, S.D., who had struck a deal with his countryman merchant, I.S., to sell him [I.S.] and his father his trading company for Dh335,000 in March.

The father, N.S., paid Dh105,000 in cash as a down payment to buy S.D.’s company before he decided to call off the deal. When I.S. and his father asked for their money back, the businessman asked them to wait.

I.S. collaborated with S.H. [the lieutenant] to summon S.D. to the police station where S.H. locked up the businessman illegally to coerce him to sign the Dh105,000 cheque and return the money he had taken as down payment.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted S.H of detaining S.D. without any legal justification and obtaining the cheque from him under duress.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal also jailed I.S. for three months for aiding and abetting S.H.

The two defendants [lieutenant and merchant] had pleaded not guilty.

“I did not collaborate with S.H.,” I.S. told the court.

“I did not do anything wrong,” S.H. contended.

In his statement before prosecutors, S.D. testified that the father visited his company and checked the premises.

“Then he gave me the down payment after he agreed to buy the company. Two days later N.S. decided to call off the deal and I asked him for some time to be able to pay him back his money. I explained to him that I had spent part of the Dh105,000 that he gave me. A week later, S.H. called me and lured me to the police station after he claimed that I had been involved in a traffic accident. I told him that I had my car and I did not meet any accident … then he claimed that I had to go to the station. When I went there, I realised that it was because of the deal to sell the company. I explained to him the background of my deal with the merchant and his father, who had decided to call it off. He asked me to pay back the money … but I explained to him that I had agreed with N.S. to give me some time. S.H. then said that I had to pay the money instantly otherwise he would lock me up. When I told him that I did not have the money, he took away my belt and mobile phones, and locked me inside. Later two policemen took me out of confinement and to an office where I was made to sign the cheque,” he claimed.

The next day I.S.’ lawyer contacted S.D. and told him to pay the cheque otherwise the merchant would take legal action against him, said records.

The businessman then discussed what had happened to him with Dubai Police’s Human Rights Section where he was advised to lodge a police complaint.

Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.