Two men get prison terms for attempting to hide tuberculosis

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance has sentenced a Pakistani man to jail for attempting to undergo a medical test on behalf of a Yemeni national. The Yemeni man had tuberculosis (TB) and did not want to be diagnosed with it.

Interrogated

Both men will be jailed for three months and then deported.

The Pakistani had approached Abu Dhabi Department of Preventive Medicine for a medical test related to a residence visa application. The department employee discovered the image of the person on file for the particular transaction number did not resemble the man submitting the application, and notified security personnel.

After being accused and interrogated, the Pakistani national revealed the identity of the Yemeni man who had asked him to take the test, who was then arrested. Investigators noticed the resemblance between the two men, and were able to diagnose tuberculosis in the Yemeni national after a medical check-up.

Clemency

The defendants were given clemency by the court because of their young age and absence of previous criminal record.