Dubai: An Egyptian was sentenced to four years in prison Monday for consuming hashish and will be deported after serving his term.
Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad of the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted M.Y., a 24-year-old manager at a private company, who had pleaded not guilty and claimed that his ex-roommate framed him.
His lawyer argued: "M.Y. was leaving on holiday. He phoned his ex-roommate to say goodbye. In the meantime, an anti-narcotics team was searching the ex-roommate's place for drugs. When the ex-roommate's phone rang, police asked him who the caller was. He told them that it was M.Y., who had consumed drugs with them."
In his testimony at the court, M.Y. claimed: "I didn't consume drugs. I used to live in that place and moved out recently.
"I called my ex-roommate to say goodbye. When I phoned them, there was police in the flat… my ex-roommate told them I consumed drugs with them."
Defence's arguments
Asking for the dropping of charges against his client, the defence lawyer said: "The enforcement procedures were carried out unlawfully against M.Y. He was arrested without a warrant. Police summoned him for an investigation after claiming to him that he was wanted for running over a pedestrian.
"When he showed up at the CID department, he was told he had consumed drugs. Prosecutors issued a search and arrest warrant after my client was detained. His name was also wrongly mentioned on the prosecutors' warrant."
