Dubai: Dubai Court of Appeals has overturned a verdict against a German man who stole two Rolex watches worth Dh38,000 from a parked car. He has now been sentenced to three months in jail, followed by deportation. The defendant was additionally fined Dh38,000.
According to court records, the 37-year-old German defendant had been initially cleared by Dubai Court of First Instance but now has been convicted in the appeals court.
The victim testified that he had locked his car in a parking lot in Bur Dubai area in March, leaving two expensive Rolex watches in the car. “I went to a café in the area and returned to the car. I drove it to my home but noticed changes in the car’s electric system, such as malfunction in the brakes and rear lights. I discovered the robbery and the car agency told me that the car’s system had been hacked,” said the victim in official records.
‘Forced confession’
During interrogation, the defendant admitted to opening the car’s locks using a special device by linking the light’s wires with the device to open the doors. He admitted to selling the watches to an Algerian man for 6,500 euros (around Dh28,000). The Algerian man left the UAE and is still at large. However lawyer Mohammad Al Najar, representing the German defendant, told Dubai Court of First Instance that the confession was forced and the case had no evidence.
“Police claimed that my client used a special device to open the car but they couldn’t seize or bring the device; and they didn’t explain where is the money. Also, there was no record by surveillance cameras. The charge was fabricated and my client’s ‘confession’ was forced during interrogation,” said Al Najar.
Dubai Court of First Instance had cleared the defendant as there were no fingerprints of the defendant inside or outside the car. The special device said to have been used to open the car wasn’t presented either.
However, Dubai Public Prosecution appealed the case and the appeals court overturned the not-guilty verdict.
