Dubai A Brazilian model denied in court on Sunday the charge of consuming and possessing marijuana that was confiscated in her hotel room while partying with other models.
Drug enforcement officers were said to have raided the deluxe room of the 23-year-old Brazilian model in a Jumeirah hotel where she was caught in possession of 8.58gm of marijuana in January 2015.
Drugs prosecutors accused her of possessing and consuming marijuana.
“I did not possess any marijuana … the confiscated material did not belong to me. It could have belonged to other women who visited my room that night. I consumed marijuana in Mexico,” said the model, speaking in Portuguese when she entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
A special Portuguese translator was brought in by the court to read out the accusations against the 23-year-old on Sunday.
“How did you consume marijuana? And did the seized marijuana belong to you?” presiding judge Mohammad Jamal asked the woman.
“No, it did not belong to me. I did not do any drugs here. Other women came to my room and they could have brought it with them. I smoked marijuana when I was in Mexico before I came to Dubai,” replied the defendant.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect possessed marijuana weighing 5.8gm hidden inside a nylon pouch, that also contained another piece weighing 2.67gm as well as another tiny amount of the same drug weighing 0.11gm for her personal consumption. She was also accused of consuming drugs.
A drug enforcement officer testified to prosecutors that the suspect’s room was raided following an informant’s tip-off that she had possessed and consumed drugs inside her hotel room.
When questioned by prosecutors, the Brazilian model was cited saying: “I am not guilty. A group of models and I were at the hotel’s bar and when it closed at 3am, we went up to my room. Some models and other guys came up to my room and left around 6am. I did not check the room [after that] and went to sleep. Later, police came and searched the room and found the marijuana and some tools used to consume it and arrested me. I had Dh11,000 and $4,000 that disappeared from my room. I consumed marijuana in Mexico on December 2 and came to Dubai on January 5. I didn’t consume any drugs in the country. Maybe another model left that drug in the room to set me up.”
The suspect refuted the accusations while defending herself in court.
Presiding judge Jamal will hand out a ruling on May 17.
