Dubai: A blacksmith has been accused of offering Dh300 in bribe to a traffic policeman, who stopped him for driving without a licence, and then beating him and resisting arrest.

The traffic policeman was in a police patrol when he spotted a sports utility vehicle (SUV) with an expired registration at Al Hudaiba area in July.

The policeman flashed for the driver to pull over and went up to him, according to records, to check his driving licence and papers.

The driver, a 34-year-old Indian blacksmith, allegedly offered Dh300 bribe to the officer.

Records said the policeman informed the Indian blacksmith that he would take him to the police station for legal action, and ordered him to sit in the police car.

The Indian assaulted the policeman, pushed him away and started running but the latter was faster, pinned him down to the floor, and handcuffed him.

As the two men stood up, the policeman lost his balance and fell down. The Indian took advantage of the situation and ran away with his hands cuffed.

With the help of backup, the Indian was apprehended hiding in a nearby building after seven minutes.

Prosecutors accused the Indian blacksmith of offering bribe to a traffic enforcement officer, assaulting the officer and absconding after having been arrested.

The suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted his bribery charge when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

When presiding judge Mohammad Jamal levelled the charges of assault and absconding, the suspect admitted that he beat the policeman and ran away after he was handcuffed.

The traffic policeman testified to prosecutors that he asked the suspect to pull over after the traffic system confirmed that the car’s registration had expired.

“Once I spotted the SUV, I suspected the car. I checked the plate number on the traffic system that showed that its registration had expired. I flashed for the driver to stop. He took out Dh300 and offered me a bribe because I had stopped him for driving an unregistered car and not having a driving licence. When he showed me the money, he said ‘please sir take this money and let me go’. He resisted arrest and assaulted me when I handcuffed him. I called for police backup and he was apprehended nearby,” he claimed to prosecutors.

A ruling will be heard on October 28.