Dubai: Dubai Police have set a trend of sorts by taking the initiative to tender formal apologies to any person who may have been hurt as a result of police action, in addition to proper compensation, according to Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police.
Lt Gen Dahi was speaking during a special Ramadan gathering organised by the Dubai Press Club at Al Wasl Lounge, Trade Centre. He said he had personally tendered apologies on six occasions and would do the same whenever he felt that any member of his staff had done something wrong.
"In the UAE, health care, education, housing, and even marriage expenses are provided for citizens.There is no single prisoner of conscience in the UAE," he said. "You can complain about any issue, provided you do not make it a personal attack."
Complaint redressal
Lt Gen Dahi pledged that if a person chose to write about an abuse of human rights or a case of bad treatment he or she had encountered while in the UAE, the complaint would never be ignored. A swift investigation would be conducted to assess the case, he promised.
If a policeman were to be found responsible in a case relating to violation of human rights, stern action would be taken against such an individual, he said.
Lt Gen Dahi said the UAE and GCC governments had always provided for every need of their citizens but cautioned that GCC countries should not overlook the upheaval in the Arab world. He urged the GCC to reinforce security cooperation and enhance its fight against crime across the region.
"I submitted a suggestion many years ago to establish a GCC Interpol but it had not materialised," he said, adding that once such an apparatus was in place, it would prevent people deported from one GCC country for security reasons from taking refuge in another.
He called on Arabs to think deeply about events taking place in Arab countires and judge them accordingly. "From my knowledge and experience, I can say that any time there is a public movement or upheaval and when you can't find a leader for this movement, this means that there are invisible hands behind it," he said.
Lt Gen Dahi pointed to Israeli involvement in the Arab upheaval. "Israel is a superpower, and has dangerous influence. If Israel wants someone to escape the rule of justice, they can do it," he said.
Lt Gen Dahi said his personal opinion was that the trial of toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was an Israeli plot for revenge, since Mubarak was the commander of the air force that bombarded the Bar-Lev Line in the war of October 1973.
"I believe that Mubarak's trial in Ramadan is not coincidental, and if the verdict is issued on October 6 [anniversary of October War], the mothers of the Israeli soldiers who were killed in Bar-Lev would be very happy," he said.
Lt General Dahi said he was satisfied with achievements of the police force in the past few years and pledged to support further enhanced performance levels of the force.
He said one of the people wanted for the murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, which took place in Dubai in 2009, had been recently arrested in Bulgaria.
He accused Israel of creating pressures on international bodies to stop the arrest of suspects involved in the Al Mabhouh murder, adding that such moves would not deter Dubai Police from pursing the case till the suspects were brought to account.
He said all the accused in the Wafi robbery case had been arrested except a woman whom the Spanish authorities refused to arrest, although the UAE had extradited a member of the Russian mafia who was wanted by Spain. He, however observed that the UAE would point out the other side's lack of cooperation when its cooperation was sought in the future. "These countries claim that some of the people wanted in the UAE are also facing charges in Europe, and they need to be tried there first," he added.
About the media, Lt Gen Dahi said he would like to see media councils being established to discuss all relevant issues and take appropriate decisions. "I strongly support councils, which we have in Dubai Police. I would like to see a television programme that brings together intellectuals and specialists to discuss political, economic and social issues," he said.
