Dubai: A man has been acquitted of impersonating a firefighter, secretly entering The Address Hotel during the New Year’s Eve fire and ridiculing Civil Defence personnel through a video that went viral on WhatsApp.
The 34-year-old Emirati man, M.G., had earlier denied mocking and tarnishing the image of Civil Defence personnel, recording a video of himself dressed as a firefighter, and sharing the video on social media. He had also denied impersonating a firefighter.
“I put on a firefighter’s uniform because I am a firefighter. I did not publish the video among the public, but I only shared it with a group of my workmates on WhatsApp,” argued M.G. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
Prosecutors said M.G. dressed up as a firefighter and entered the premises while the hotel was on fire on New Year’s Eve. He then filmed himself walking around the 35th floor barefoot, smoking a cigarette and drinking a beverage and said the fire was under control.
When he finished videoing himself, according to records, he forwarded it on WhatsApp.
Citing lack of corroborated evidence, presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi cleared M.G. of all allegations.
M.G.’s lawyer Saeed Al Ghafri, of Al Shamsi and Partners Advocates and Legal Consultants, defended in court: “My client did not tarnish the Civil Defence’s image or mock the rescue and firefighting efforts … actually the video did not contain any disdaining or mocking phrases or images. He dressed up in a firefighter’s uniform and stepped in to help his colleagues … actually, he obtained a permission from one of the site supervisors. A Civil Defence lieutenant testified in court that my client entered the burning hotel to help them extinguish the fire … and then he filmed himself on video to boast about his capabilities of putting out a fire on foot and not from planes and that he participated in the rescue operations.”
Meanwhile, the defendant told the court he had worked for the Civil Defence in Dubai for nearly 13 years and has been working as a firefighter for Abu Dhabi Civil Defence for two years.
When asked why he was walking barefoot, M.G. explained that he had notified the fire site’s supervisor that he is a firefighter and wanted to help put out the fire.
“But the boots they handed me were large and I could not put it on,” he maintained.
Lawyer Al Ghafri defended: “My client had no bad or criminal intention. He wanted to help his colleagues … a lieutenant testified that my client, actually, saved an American woman during the rescue operations. He has a great firefighting experience and is skilled as well … that is why the site supervisor granted him permission to give them extra hands in extinguishing the fire. The lieutenant also confirmed that he would allow M.G. to participate in fire-extinguishing operation due to his excellent expertise and skills.”
According to Wednesday’s ruling, the Emirati defendant was cleared of publishing a video in which he mocked Civil Defence personnel and belittled the efforts they had exerted to put out the fire.
He was also acquitted of impersonating a firefighter by taking advantage of The Address’s fire and posing as a firefighter.
M.G. was also cleared of dressing up as a firefighter in public and recording himself in a video that he forwarded on social media.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
