Dubai Police to give testimonies via live video link with court
Move, initially for anti-narcotics, will help fast-track judicial process
Dubai: Anti-Narcotic officers at Dubai Police can now give their testimonies to prosecution through live video conferencing in a step to save time and effort.
The new smart system was established at the Anti-Narcotic Department of Dubai Police to enable police officers and witnesses give live testimonies to prosecution in drug cases to speed up judicial procedures.
Chancellor Essam Eisa Al Humaidan, Attorney General of Dubai and Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-In-Chief of Dubai Police, inaugurated the video conferencing room at the Anti-Narcotic Department of Dubai Police on Thursday.
“This initiative is the first of its kind in the country,” said Al Humaidan. “We established a special programme for this system to store the video conference data, it will cut time and effort in drug cases as testimonies of officers will be taken while they are in their workplace without the need to come to prosecution or courts buildings,” he added.
It is the first phase of a plan to provide video conference rooms in all police stations, prosecution and courts without the need to transport inmates, police officers or witnesses to court.
“The legal procedure will be easier now as the suspect, witnesses and the officers will be presented to the prosecutor directly through a live video conference and then they can present the suspect to the judge without the need to take him to the court,” said Al Humaidan.
Meanwhile, Al Merri, said that the video conference rooms were first launched in Bur Dubai, Al Barsha and Dubai Airport police stations, as well as the Forensic Department of Dubai Police, before it was launched at the Anti-Narcotic Department.
“The room will reduce the time and effort of employees and it is part of Dubai’s government strategy to adopt the latest technology in work. The virtual courtrooms intend to facilitate and improve services,” said Al Merri.
In the near future, virtual rooms will be available in all Dubai Police Departments, officials said.