Emirati policeman jailed for disparaging major

Dubai: A policeman has been jailed for disparaging and scolding a police major, who tried to arrest him for allegedly causing a public nuisance in Mirdif in the early hours.

The 28-year-old Emirati policeman Wednesday denied at the Dubai Misdemeanours Court the charge of disparaging and belittling the police major, also an Emirati. He was found guilty and jailed for one month.

Prosecutors accused the policeman, M.S., of disparaging an officer on duty while he was carrying out his law enforcement procedures,. M.S. had reportedly said to him "I won't give you anything and do whatever you want" and "who are you to detain me."

When M.S. appeared in courtroom five Wednesday, he denied the charges in front of Presiding Judge Rifa'at Othman.

M.S.'s lawyer contended in court: "The police major abused his power and fabricated the public annoyance complaint against my client. He also unfoundedly accused M.S. of consuming alcohol and out of malice. The noise did not come from my client's villa. What happened is that M.S. didn't allow police officers to enter his villa at 4.30am and have it searched without a warrant from Dubai Public Prosecution. This irritated the major who insisted on detaining my client and two of his friends."

Loud noise

Although the major accused M.S. of drinking alcohol, the criminal laboratory's report proved otherwise and prosecutors dropped the charge, said M.S.'s lawyer.

Presiding Judge Othman ordered the defendant to wait in court until issuing a judgment at the end of the hearing. Towards the end of the session, the judge jailed M.S. Jail guards took the defendant, who was on bail, to the Criminal Ruling's Execution Section to start his sentence.

Police records said Dubai Police's Operation Room was alerted about a loud noise coming from a villa in Mirdif. The police major and an officer headed to the location and saw a sergeant and a policeman talking to M.S.

Records said M.S. was drunk and when he was asked about the noise, he tried to attack the major. The defendant told the police officers that they were not allowed to stand in front of his door.

M.S. was asked to go to the police station where, according to police records, he refused to have his blood sample tested for alcohol.

The lawyer said: "Prosecutors failed to introduce us to the person who complained about the noise…when the law enforcement officers were exposed that the noise complaint was unfounded, they dragged my client into this case maliciously. When the case was referred to the Public Prosecution, the major realised his mistake and waived his complaint against M.S."

Wednesday's judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.