UAE | Crime
Spanish consul steps in to play translator in court
The lack of a Spanish translator hit the Dubai courts yesterday and made the Spanish Consul play a translator's role when he translated his compatriot's drug charges.
- By Bassam Za'za', Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:41 October 1, 2007
Dubai: The lack of a Spanish translator hit the Dubai courts yesterday and made the Spanish Consul play a translator's role when he translated his compatriot's drug charges.
The Spanish Consul stepped in, took an oath before presiding judge Abdul Majid Al Nezamy and translated the charges of possessing a banned substance for his compatriot, A.T. The Spanish suspect confessed to the charges and pleaded guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
Charges
The Public Prosecution department charged him with possessing 1.09 grams of hashish for personal use.
When A.T. appeared in the dock the judge handed the bill of charges to the translator to read him the charges in English. It then transpired the suspect could not speak English.
A man seated in the second row, stood up and spoke to the judge in Arabic and offered to support the court with a Spanish translator.
"No thank you. We will have to adjourn the case until the Public Prosecution brings in a translator from the Spanish Consulate or Embassy in the UAE," replied presiding judge Al Nezamy.
Thereafter, another man who was wearing a suit and also seated in the second row, stepped in and introduced himself as the Spanish Consul in Dubai.
The judge asked him for an identification card before taking an oath.
The charges were then translated from English, via the court's translator, then to Spanish.
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