Dubai Curse someone on Twitter and you might just land in court. This is what happened to a man who posted foul language on the Twitter account of the Chief of Dubai Police, Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim.
"I am not guilty. I did not mean to use such language against Lt Gen Dahi, but I meant his entourage [some of the people who work under his command]. I repeatedly asked to meet him, but they constantly refused to inform him or convey my messages to him," the 42-year-old Emirati suspect, M.I., argued before the Dubai Misdemeanour Court Wednesday.
According to the chargesheet, prosecutor Ali Mohammad charged M.I. with cursing a public servant (Lt General Dahi) and asked for the implementation of Article 374 of the Federal Penal Law.
Article 374 stipulates that a suspect faces a maximum of three years in jail or Dh30,000 fine if he/she curses a public servant because of his/her post.
An Emirati law enforcement officer testified that Lt Gen Dahi had asked him to lodge a police complaint against M.I.
"Lt Gen Dahi instructed me to complain against M.I., who cursed him in his capacity of the chief of Dubai Police on his Twitter account. Lt Gen Dahi had earlier waived a similar complaint against M.I. and for the same crime," he claimed.
When presiding judge Ali Atiyyah Sa'ad levelled the charge against M.I., the defendant, who is in custody, said: "If such foul language came from me, then I am willing to personally apologise to Lt Gen Dahi. Sir, please bail me out, so I could go and say I am sorry."
Judge Sa'ad rejected M.I.'s request for bail and adjourned the case to March 11 for the suspect to produce his defence.
Court records said police arrested M.I. from his residence in Al Mamzar on February 19.
"I opened a Twitter account… then, I cursed the Chief of Dubai Police on his Twitter because he didn't help me solve my problem, which he is aware of since four years. I used foul language against Lt Gen Dahi because there was a dispute between us and he didn't convey my message to a certain top official," the defendant claimed during questioning.
