Dubai: An engineer, who was convicted of tearing and eating forged documents in a police station, is seeking acquittal before the Dubai Appeal Court.
In December, the Dubai Misdemeanours Court fined the European man Dh2,000 for destroying documents that were being used as evidence in a forgery case.
He was also handed a three-month suspended jail sentence for forging two entry passes to the private beachside of a community residence at Palm Jumeirah.
In June, the engineer had hosted his two friends at his residence. He claimed to have paid Dh500 to an acquaintance who got him two entry passes so his visitors could access the private beach area.
When the visitors went down for a swim, according to records, the security guard discovered that the entry permits were forged and informed the police.
The engineer and his friends were summoned to the police station. It was there that he tore one of the permits and ate it.
Prosecutors charged him with forging the entry permits and destroying evidence.
The engineer appealed against the primary judgement and contended before the appellate court that he didn’t forge the papers, or use them. He admitted to eating part of the papers.
His lawyer Saad Salman of Mohammad Salman Advocates and Legal Consultants provided the appellate court with a medical report confirming that his client has an anxiety disorder.
“My client did not have any criminal intent. He behaved like he did due to his health disorder. He did not forge the entry permits, or hand them over to the security guard at the private beachside. We ask the court to acquit him on grounds of leniency since he did not have any bad or criminal intention, or to hand him the most lenient punishment,” the lawyer said.
According to the primary charge-sheet, a police officer who was conducting the enquiry testified that the defendant ripped off the paper, crumbled it and put it in his pocket. When the officer called another policeman for assistance, the engineer took out the crumbled paper from his pocket, put it in his mouth and ate it.
A ruling is expected later this month.
