Men get bail in Dubai due to lack of translator

Dubai: A judge granted unconditional bail to two men detained on robbery charges since March after a translator failed to attend Monday's hearing.

"The Dubai Court of First Instance will discharge the suspects, Yugoslavian A.S. and B.M., from Kosovo, on unwarranted release. The Public Prosecution has to bring an Albanian translator when the court reconvenes on December 10," said Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad when he pronounced yesterday's decision.

The suspects, both 37, failed to confess or deny the charges when they first appeared before the same jury last Thursday, after nearly seven months in provisional detention.

Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad had adjourned Thursday's hearing until Monday for a translator to come and present the suspects with their charges.

"My clients have been in detention for seven months now. Your honour, during the police's and public prosecution's questioning [since March 2009] the defendants were given access to an Albanian translator one time. I ask the jury to grant them unconditional bail and adjourn the case until a translator is made available. They came to this country on a four-day visit and since then they have been detained over the alleged attempted robbery charges," said the suspects' lawyer, Day Al Qazwini, in court.

Prosecutors charged A.S. and B.M. with attempting to rob Jumeirah Beach Park's administration office.

According to the charge sheet, they climbed the beach park's wall, destroyed the office's window and broke in. Then they tried to break open the safe using a screwdriver, hammer, lever and electric saw before being arrested.

They were also charged with causing Dh8,500 worth of damage.

During yesterday's hearing, Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad called for the suspects and the translator. Another translator told the jury that the Albanian translator was on his way.

Towards the end of the hearing the translator failed to appear in court, so Al Qazwini again asked the judge to give his clients bail.