Dubai: A Kenyan porter has been accused of abusing his public office at Dubai International Airport and stealing Dh3 from travellers’ luggage.
Prosecutors said the 24-year-old porter abused his public work at the airport’s loading area, opened a number of handbags and stole what was worth Dh3 [in the Qatari currency].
“I am not guilty I did not steal Dh3… but yes I tried to open three handbags,” said the suspect when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
According to the accusation sheet, the Public Funds Prosecution charged the suspect M.K. with abuse of public office [in his capacity as a porter at a security company that is hired by Dnata and Emirates Airlines] and stealing three Qatari Riyals. He was also charged with attempted robbery. Records said the airport security teams spotted through secret surveillance cameras the defendant opening travellers’ bags and searching them.
An Emirati police corporal said the managements of Dnata and Emirates Airlines informed the police about the incident and asked for legal action to be taken against M.K.
“The footages exposed the defendant opening travel bags and searching their contents. Police summoned the porter for questioning. M.K. confessed that he was the one who was shown in the footages opening the bags and searching their contents. The suspect claimed that he opened bags and searched for money because he was in dire need for it… but he admitted that he only found what was worth Dh3. The Kenyan claimed during questioning that he only opened bags that did not have locks. M.K. claimed that he searched travellers’ bag four times over a period of eight months,” claimed the police corporal.
Prosecution records cited the suspect admitting that he threw away Dh2 and kept in his pocket Dh1 that was seized in his possession when the police searched him.
A verdict will be heard on November 26.
