Dubai: A young hunter admitted in court yesterday that he returned tens of Houbara bustards from a shaikh’s farm after he stole them.
Prosecutors accused the 19-year-old Pakistani suspect, S.A., of abusing his work as a hunter at the shaikh’s farm and stealing from there Houbara bustards.
“Yes your honour… I stole the Houbara birds from the farm. But I returned them,” argued S.A. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
Seven years
According to the arraignment sheet, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Ali Khalaf asked the court to implement the toughest punishment [which is seven years in jail] applicable against the defendant.
When Presiding Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi asked the suspect what he requested from the court, S.A. contended: “Sir I am sorry… I want the court for forgive me and hand out a judgement soon.”
An Emirati man, who is responsible for the shaikh’s farm in Jebel Ali, claimed to prosecutors: “When I went to the farm one morning, one of the workers asked me if I took the Houbara bustards… and I denied. The worker told me also that S.A. came to him the other night and claimed that I asked him to take the Houbara bustards. But I didn’t ask the suspect to do so. When I made the worker and the suspect confront each other, S.A. denied taking the Houbara bustards. Then I decided to inform the police.”
Prosecution records said a police patrol headed to the farm and during questioning, S.A. confessed that he stole the Houbara.
Unknown number of birds
According to his police confession, S.A. alleged that he took the Houbara bustards and handed them to a person named Saeed. He also admitted that he stole an unknown number of birds. Court records said the defendant also admitted robbing Dh5000 and an iPad and a Blackberry phone from the farm.
During prosecution questioning, the suspect admitted to stealing the Houbara and other items.
A verdict will be heard on February 8.
