UAE | Crime
Court assigns expert to verify 'bulletproof' stone dealer's claim
The Court of Appeal on Monday assigned an expert to verify the veracity of a claim made by a precious stone dealer, who is currently serving a six-month jail term for trying to sell a 'bulletproof' onyx stone for Dh1.8 billion.
- By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 11:07 March 24, 2008
Dubai: A court will dispatch an expert to examine the value of an onyx stone, the owner of which is serving a six-month imprisonment for promoting it for Dh1.8 billion because it is bulletproof.
The Dubai Court of Appeal on Monday approved the assigning of an expert from Dubai police's criminal laboratory or any concerned authority to examine the confiscated onyx stone and assess its value to decide whether it contains any special characteristics which makes it bulletproof.
The Public Prosecution charged the 52-year-old Yemeni dealer with attempted swindling and trying to con people by posting a newspaper advertisement in which he promoted the bulletproof onyx stone for Dh1.8 billion.
His lawyer Saeed Al Ghailani, of Saeed Al Ghailani Advocates and Legal Consultants, earlier asked the Court of Appeal judge to assign a physics expert or Dubai police's criminal laboratory to test the stone and decide whether it contains any electromagnetic powers which diverts the bullet before it hits the stone wearer.
Al Ghailani also asked the court to acquit his client (Q.M.) and dismiss the uncorroborated evidence.
"I am willing to prove to the world that it's a bulletproof onyx stone... I am ready to face a death sentence if that's what will take me to prove that the stone is doubtlessly bulletproof... I didn't con anybody out of money, but the police tricked me and filed a malicious case against me," the accused, Q.M., told the Court of Appeal earlier.
Speaking to the judge, the Yemeni said: "I ask the court to try the stone in front of the whole world."
The Court of Misdemeanour earlier sentenced him to six months in jail followed by deportation after he was found guilty of attempted swindling.
He has denied attempted swindling and trying to con people by posting a newspaper advertisement in which he promoted the bulletproof onyx stone for Dh1.8 billion, as charged by the Public Prosecution.
During the hearing, the accused said the stone proved bulletproof when he tried it four times on sheep.
"I had a stall at Global Village where I displayed precious stones, including the onyx. I asked the police to try the stone before confiscating it and arresting me. They refused. I brought it with me from Yemen."
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