Tweeter warned against using foul language

Dubai: A judge yesterday warned a man to stop using foul language on the social networking site, Twitter, after Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, decided not to pursue defamation charges against the defendant.

The 42-year-old Emirati tweeter, M.I., had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of cursing and slandering Dahi on his Twitter account and posting bad words. He also asked the Dubai Misdemeanour Court to grant him time to reconcile with the Dubai Police Chief.

"Listen M.I., this time the case has been dropped after Lt Gen Dahi granted you a waiver and dropped his complaint. Stop using foul language on Twitter with anyone," Presiding Judge Ali Attiyah Sa'ad said while pronouncing yesterday's verdict.

According to the primary judgment sheet, Dahi sent a written waiver in which he dropped his complaint against M.I to Dubai Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan's office.

The defendant was on bail when he appeared in courtroom five yesterday and heard the judgment.

Gulf News has learnt that the suspect was released on bail on March 22 and was allowed to attend his father's funeral. He remained on bail until yesterday's verdict.

Special plea disregarded

In an earlier hearing, the court had disregarded M.I.'s special plea to hear the statement of Dahi in the case that involved defamatory posts in the Dubai Police Chief's Twitter account.

"I called Lt Gen Dahi from the detention centre… he told me to communicate with the court concerning my request to clarify what I posted on his Twitter account," M.I. said in court when he defended himself.

M.I. had denied the charge of cursing Dahi. He contended: "I didn't mean to use such language against Lt Gen Dahi, but I meant his entourage [some of the people who work under his command]."

Court records said M.I. had been trying to meet the Chief of the Dubai Police to address a private problem for the past five years. "Being in court might be my only chance to meet Lt Gen Dahi because I couldn't meet him and explain my situation or problem. With what I posted on his Twitter account, I was just trying to warn him about a few corrupt officials from his entourage and how they are manipulating the law. I intended to inform him that some officials fail to carry out orders properly and to draw the clear and truthful picture before the rulers," M.I. told the court.

According to the arraignment sheet, prosecutor Ali Mohammad charged M.I. with cursing a public servant and asked for implementation of Article 374 of the Federal Penal Law.

Article 374 stipulates that a suspect face a maximum of three years in jail or Dh30,000 fine if he/she curses a public servant because of his/her post. An Emirati law enforcement officer testified that Dahi had asked him to lodge a police complaint against M.I.