Dubai: A lawyer has defended a policewoman charged with theft, saying she did not have any motive to steal because she earns a high salary and is married to a wealthy man.
"My client earns a good salary. She had no motive to steal the detainee's Dh12,000 and besides she is married to a wealthy husband.
"She lives a decent and happy life and all the allegations about her being a thief are baseless and malicious," said lawyer Obaid Ali Obaid when he defended the 26-year-old Emirati policewoman before the Dubai Court of First Instance recently.
When she appeared before the jury, the policewoman pleaded not guilty and strongly denied the charge of stealing Dh12,000 from a female detainee who was arrested for an alleged economic crime.
Prosecutors said the female detainee, N.M, testified that after she was released on bail she discovered that the policewoman, R.M., stole her money.
"The evidence which was brought against my client was uncorroborated and insufficient. The lieutenant who questioned her claimed that she confessed to him implicitly and later retracted her confession. Your honour, there is nothing known by implicit confession. The lieutenant's statement was inconsistent and unfounded also. He brought these allegations for personal interests," said Obaid.
Prosecutors charged the defendant with stealing Dh12,000 and a blank cheque from N.M. after abusing her duty as a policewoman.
"I was accused of forging credit cards and got detained and the suspect searched me and my purse at the station," testified N.M.
"She informed me that I would be referred to a police station where the procedures were tight. She asked me to leave the money and the cheque in her possession and claimed that she would hand them to my boss. The prosecutor released me on bail. When I contacted my boss he informed me that the policewoman hadn't given him the money or the cheque," testified N.M.
Records said the detainee had told a lieutenant at the police station about the incident.
"She (R.M.) confessed to what she did verbally and she said she didn't hand the money to the boss because of her own financial need," the Emirati lieutenant testified "She refused to sign the investigation report," he added. A verdict will be heard soon.
