Egyptian spends eight days in prison, for namesake's crime

An Egyptian national spent eight days in remand custody because he was mistaken for someone else.

M.M.A., a 39-year-old man, spent the days in jail as the authorities mistook him for another Egyptian of the same name and wanted since 1999.

The Dubai Court of First Instance had sentenced M.M.A's namesake, aged 63, to two months in jail for signing six dud cheques worth Dh30,000. The Rulings Execution Section at the Dubai Public Prosecution, authorised to enforce court verdicts, subsequently issued an arrest order for him.

About two weeks ago, the authorities chanced upon M.M.A during a workers' protest over non-payment of wages.

M.M.A. told Gulf News that police detained him with his co-workers at the Al Ghusais police station lock-up for seven days. Asked to choose between going back to the company he worked for and heading home, M.M.A. decided to return to Egypt. At this point, the authorities informed him that he was wanted since 1999.

Says M.M.A.: "I was detained at the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department for another six days and two days in court lock-up just because my identity had been mistaken. I was jailed for a crime that I never committed. In July 1999 I was in my home country."

Officials at the Rulings Execution Section at the Public Prosecution discovered the error yesterday and released M.M.A. immediately. The fugitive is still at large, while M.M.A. is flying back to Egypt.