Court acquits man accused of Burj Khalifa bomb hoax

Dubai: A businessman has been acquitted of sending an SMS to a police major in Dubai Police threatening to blow up the Burj Khalifa if he was not paid $1 million (Dh3.67 million.)

The Dubai Court of First Instance cleared the 38-year-old Indian businessman, J.F., of sending the SMS to the Emirati police major threatening to blow up the world's tallest tower citing lack of corroborated evidence.

"Sir, I did not threaten him at all. I deny this charge. I didn't do such a thing," said J.F. when he defended himself in court. Prosecutors said J.F. sent the SMS saying ‘"tomorrow Burj Khalifa blast arrange no arrange 1,000,000 dollar take".

The Emirati police major testified that he received a text message on his mobile phone around 4pm.

"It was not written clearly. I immediately reported it to Dubai Police's Operations Room and forwarded the SMS to them."

A Pakistani bartender claimed J.F. admitted sending the message to get another man in trouble.

"J.F. and another man named C. were our frequent customers and used to come together. Four months later J.F. started coming alone. One night, C.'s relative told me C. was jailed… Afterwards J.F. claimed he was an influential trader and could send C. back to prison. He claimed to me he had jailed C the first time. He claimed to me he was the one who sent an SMS to a certain mobile number without disclosing the number or the identity of its carrier. And thereafter C. was jailed," the bartender said.