Student accused of consuming hashish

Dubai A lawyer asked a court to acquit her client of using hashish because drug enforcement officers apprehended him 90 minutes before obtaining a prosecutors’ search and arrest warrant.

The 25-year-old Nigerian student, Y.S., pleaded not guilty and denied the accusation of consuming hashish when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

“Not guilty,” he told presiding judge Ezzat Mansour on Monday.

Meanwhile his lawyer Showq Al Kethiri argued law enforcement procedures were carried out improperly and unlawfully against Y.S.

Showing the prosecutors warrant to the bench of judges to support her verbal defence, advocate Showq contended: “My client was detained by law enforcement officers at 12.15pm meanwhile this warrant [pointing out the document in her hands] clearly shows the warrant was issued at 1.45pm. Law enforcement officers carried out the procedures illegally against my client. Despite all that, when the arresting officers stopped my client in the corridor of his building they did not look [for] any drug in his possession upon searching him and his residence.”

An anti-narcotics police captain testified to prosecutors that an informant alerted them that Y.S. possessed and consumed hashish at his residence in Dubai Sports City.

No drugs were found in the suspect’s possession, said the captain.

Records said the defendant tested positive for hashish.

Prior to her defence argument, advocate Showq produced a defence witness who confirmed that Y.S. [his flatmate] was detained at 12.15pm.

“I heard a loud noise in the corridor … when I opened the door to see what had happened, I saw the officers taking Y.S. away. The building’s security guard did not know why they had taken my friend away,” the witness told presiding judge Mansour.

Advocate Showq asked the court to drop her client’s accusation and acquit him since the law procedures were carried out illegally against Y.S.

A ruling will be heard on February 25.