Dubai: A commercial broker lost his appeal and will be jailed for three months for offering Dh150,000 in bribes to a drug enforcement officer to let him go following a drug bust.
Drug enforcement officers raided the residence of the 27-year-old British broker searching for drugs in his villa in Jumeirah in November 2017.
Following the drug raid, the Briton was apprehended and put in the back seat of a police car patrol. A policeman sat beside him.
While the patrol was heading to the police station, the British accused offered to pay up to Dh150,000 to the policeman to have him released.
In August, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the Briton for three months for bribing the drug enforcement officer and also fined him Dh150,000.
The British accused appealed his primary judgement before the Appeal Court and sought to acquit himself.
On Sunday, presiding judge Eisa Al Sharif rejected the defendant’s appeal and upheld his three-month imprisonment and Dh150,000 fine.
Presiding judge Al Sharif said the accused, who pleaded not guilty, will be deported following the completion of his punishment.
When he defended himself in court that Briton said he did not offer the drug officer any bribe.
The policeman said the incident happened after searching the culprit’s villa.
“A team was commissioned to search the defendant’s residence for drugs. We took the accused into custody and made him sit in the back seat of the police car. I sat beside him while my colleagues sat in the front. Chatting with me in English, the defendant offered to pay me Dh50,000 if I allowed him to go. I disregarded him at first. Then he told me that he would pay me Dh100,000 if I let him go. then he raised the amount to Dh150,000 and told me to stop at the nearest bank, from where he would withdraw the cash and pay it to me if I let him go. I reported the matter to my superiors,” the policeman testified.
The Briton was quoted telling prosecutors that he offered to pay the policeman money to release him following his arrest because he possessed and consumed methamphetamine.
Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Misdemeanours Court fined the accused Dh10,000 for possessing and consuming methamphetamine. He challenged that ruling before the Appeal Court.