Clerk denies killing guard in Dubai robbery bid

Dubai: A clerk has denied that he premeditatedly killed a guard and attempted to steal Dh458,000 from the safe of a car showroom and claimed police forced him to confess.

"I didn't kill the security guard nor did I attempt to steal the money... the CID and public prosecution forced me to confess to something I didn't commit," the 24-year-old Pakistani clerk, A.K., told the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

The judge adjourned the case to assign a lawyer to defend A.K. against alleged charges of premeditated murder of 32-year-old Nepalese security guard, P.B., and attempting to steal money from the safe.

He was also charged with arson when he set the office on fire after he failed to open the safe with welding machine in an attempt to remove any fingerprints.

Public Prosecution records said A.K. hid under the car showroom's counter playing games on his cell phone for 90 minutes, waited patiently for P.B. to appear before he stabbed him to death and battered his head with a hammer.

Records said the suspect claimed he needed money to pay for his sister's wedding.