Dubai: The lawyers of an ex-minister and two managers will defend their clients against charges of breach of trust and coercion next month before the Dubai Cassation Court.
The defence lawyers were scheduled to present their closing arguments before Presiding Judge Mohammad Nabeel Riyad on Monday.
"Your honour, now that the Dubai Court of Cassation will only study the crime of breach of trust, then that means there is no swindling, defraud or coercion," argued Samir Jaafar, the ex-minister's lawyer before Presiding Judge Riyad stopped him.
"No… please make sure that your defence should be submitted based on charges of breach of trust and the act of coercion still stands," said Presiding Judge Riyad.
During the February 8 hearing, the Cassation Court modified the charges and decided that ex-minister, K.B., general manager S.A., and finance manager, P.M., will be prosecuted for breaching the trust of M.J., a 37-year-old businesswoman.
Advocate Essam Al Tamimi, M.J.'s legal representative in the civil case, withdrew his closing argument after submitting it to the jury and the defence lawyers following the argument about the issue of coercion.
"The act of coercion is not clear yet for the jury. The suspects have not been convicted of coercion yet, and that's why the closing arguments should be based on that," said Presiding Judge Riyad.
K.B.'s lawyers Jaafar and Hussain Al Jaziri, and S.A.'s advocate Abdul Moniem Bin Suwaidan, asked the court for a new adjournment.
