Cop on trial for ‘seeking bribe’ to return papers

dubai — A policeman, assigned with guarding shops, has been charged in the Court of First Instance with seeking a Dh1,000 bribe from a man he stopped in the Naif area in return for giving him back a document proving his passport was held by the police.

The incident allegedly took place on August 5 when the 48-year-old Pakistani cop allegedly took the document and would not return it to the man, an Indian, unless the latter paid him Dh1,000.

“I was near the Gold Souq to meet a friend when the accused came to me wearing civilian clothes and showed me a card saying that he is a CID officer.

He asked me what I was doing there and then asked me to go with him to an alley,” the 34-year-old complainant, who is a domestic help, said.

“He asked me for an ID and then I showed him a passport collection receipt issued to me by the Naif police when I bailed my friend out in a case. He told me I was not allowed to be there and I broke the law and he would have me deported. I told him to let me go and that I have a family to provide for. He said he would wait for me for one hour there to bring him Dh1,000”.

The complainant left and he wanted to borrow the money from his friend but the latter advised him to report the accused to the police for violating the law. At around 10am on August 10, he went carrying the money that belonged to the Dubai Police and a tape recorder.

The accused shouted at him because he did not show up the other day. As they walked out of the shop, the defendant asked for the Dh1,000. The CID officers arrested him after putting that money in his pocket.

“The defendant was based at Naif Souq and his job was to guard and watch shops and look for suspects and arrest if needed,” a police lieutenant said.