Police officer arrested on bribery charges gets bail

Sharjah: A senior police officer arrested in Sharjah four months ago on bribery charges was released on temporary bail a week ago, Gulf News has learnt.

The police official was in detention since April this year after being accused of trying to cover up a money-laundering investigation, according to sources.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) senior official in Sharjah, identified as Y.M.N., was arrested on suspicion of accepting a bribe of more than Dh2 million to cover up a case of money-laundering of Dh395 million he was investigating on a tip from the Central Bank.

According to judicial sources, the police official is now facing trial at the Sharjah court for his role in more than five bribery cases during his tenure as senior officer at the CID.

The Central Bank raised questions about the Dh395 million amount, which had been deposited in an account that belongs to a small mobile phone shop in Sharjah.

Sources told Gulf News Y.N.M. allegedly accepted the bribe to close the case and dismiss the allegation.

Court sources said that Y.M.N went on trial in four bribe cases and is facing more cases.The mobile phone shop is owned by Syrian expatriate identified as M.A. and a prominent Emirati from Sharjah.

Gulf News learnt that M.A got deported from the country shortly after the arrest of the police official.

The arrested officer was admitted to a private hospital after suffering a heart attack while he was in police custody few days after his arrest, the sources said.

He has since been transferred to Sharjah jail. The cases has been investigated by public prosecutor and to court.

Sources said that all court session used to be done privately ever few days.

Sources close to Y.M.N, however, told Gulf News that what happened with him (Y.M.N) was not fair.