Dubai: The lawyers defending two defendants charged with collaboration in Chechen leader Sulim Yamadayev's assassination, have disputed the evidence submitted by prosecutors and asked a court to acquit them.
Prosecutors had charged an Iranian clerk, M.T., and a Tajik businessman, M.K., with aiding and abetting four fugitives who carried out Yamadayev's intentional killing.
The suspects, both 37, pleaded innocent.
M.T.'s three lawyers, Dr Fahd Al Sabhan, Obaid Ali Obaid and Tarek Al Qassem, and M.K.'s two lawyers told the Dubai Court of First Instance that their clients are innocent and that the evidence submitted against them was "groundless and uncorroborated".
"This was an unusual crime in which Chechen suspects flew into Dubai, killed the victim and fled the country in less than 24 hours. The suspects being prosecuted have nothing to do with the main killers … those are outside the country. According to law enforcement officers' statements, the murder gun was left here after the Chechen presidential delegation visited the country [on] an official visit. Prosecution witnesses' statements are inconsistent and contradictory, especially concerning the murder weapon's colour ... which varied between silver, golden and black," Dr Al Sabhan contended before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
He also argued before Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad that some witnesses said the shooters were Asian-looking and others testified that they were European-looking.
Lacking evidence
Al Qassem argued that the case lacked concrete or corroborate evidence.
M.K.'s lawyers sought their client's innocence and submitted a written defence to the presiding judge who will give the judgment on April 12.
