Dubai: A businessman has been jailed for four years for possessing and consuming drugs.
Prosecutors had also charged the 53-year-old Iranian businessman, M.S., of offering a Dh1.5 million cheque to an officer as a bribe to release him after a drug raid. But he was acquitted of this charge.
The Dubai Appeal Court on Wednesday upheld the primary judgment and confirmed the four-year jail term for M.S.
The man had pleaded not guilty and strongly denied what he described as ‘bogus and fabricated allegations’.
He contended before the court that the charges were unfounded and baseless.
“The court has upheld the primary judgment. The accused will be deported following the completion of his jail term,” said Presiding Judge Mustafa Al Shennawi.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said M.S. possessed 3.6 grams of opium and eight alprazolam tablets. He was also accused of consuming morphine, codeine and methadone.
A policeman testified that the defendant had been arrested at his residence in Al Mamzar following a tip-off from an informant that M.S. possessed and consumed drugs.
“Police obtained prosecutors’ permission to raid his house and have it searched. We did not find any drugs when we searched his pockets… but we seized eight Xanax [Alprazolam] tablets hidden in his car. Upon confronting him with the findings, he seemed confused and claimed that the tablets belonged to his sick wife. During questioning, he claimed that he consumed opium two days prior to his arrest. Then he asked me to help him and took out his cheque book and wrote me a cheque. He claimed to me that the cheque was to help him get rid of the ‘problem’. He also said that he would make me his future partner in his trading business as soon as he gets released. I took the cheque and continued questioning him... Furthermore he admitted that he possessed opium at his house,” said the officer.
Wednesday’s judgment remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.
