Dubai man tried for faking royal's ID

Dubai: A building inspector took identity theft to a whole new level when he tried to pass himself off as a member of a royal family to avoid trouble with the police following up on a fight in Satwa.

J.K., a 27-year-old Emirati, was found to have handed over a bogus health identity card showing him as a member of a royal household to a police officer on August 18, 2011.

A 30-year-old officer, M.M., testified in court that he drove towards Satwa upon receiving a call notifying him of a fight between two men.

“Upon reaching the location, I asked them both to show their ID cards,” the police officer told the court. “The accused chose to show me his medical card. The card carried the name of a royal family member.”

The police officer then asked for help from the control room, which sent a special police task force.

“Upon the arrival of the police force, I handed them the ID and left it for them to sort it out,” said M.M. The next day, M.M. received a call from a fellow police officer who told him that the man was impersonating a royal family member and gave him his actual name.

He was also notified that the accused was held in Al Safa district.

According to the chargesheet, the accused came to the attention of the police patrol for causing a great deal of noise in the area.

“Because he made so much noise, I followed his BMW until he parked it at his house. I knocked on the door and asked him to step out,” said M.M.

The accused refused to step outside the gate, he said.

When the policeman asked him to show an identification card, the accused flashed his medical card, but the picture was wiped out.

J.K. was arrested for identity theft shortly thereafter. On Wednesday, the accused did not turn up in court.