Dubai: A businessman has been accused of offering Dh200 in bribe to a traffic police lieutenant not to impound his expired and uninsured car and fine him.
The 34-year-old Pakistani businessman, A.H., was said to be driving his vehicle when the police lieutenant spotted him in Al Muraqqabat and stopped him after discovering that the car was wanted for impoundment as its registration had expired.
The suspect is believed to have attempted to bribe the lieutenant and put Dh200 in his hand in order not to impound his car and issue him two traffic fines in March.
Prosecutors charged A.H. with attempted bribe.
The suspect entered an innocent plea when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
“No, I did not offer him any bribe,” argued the businessman before presiding judge Ali Abdul Wahhab.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect tried to bribe the lieutenant in an attempt to prevent him from carrying out his job.
The lieutenant testified to prosecutors that he was heading a traffic patrol when he spotted the defendant’s wanted car at 11.30pm.
“Upon checking the car’s number plate, the e-traffic system revealed that it was wanted for impoundment because the registration had expired eight months ago. We asked the driver [A.H.] to pull over and to present his papers. The papers confirmed that the registration had expired in July 2014 … the insurance had also expired. I started writing a fine and called for a police winch to take the car for impoundment. The suspect walked towards me and handed me Dh200. When I asked him why he was giving me money, he told me in order not to book him and let him go. I tried to stop him, but he insisted on giving me the money. Thereafter we took him into custody,” the lieutenant claimed.
The Pakistani was cited admitting before police and prosecutors that he offered the money as bribe.
The trial continues.
