Woman jailed for offering bribe to pass driving test

sharjah — An Arab woman has been sentenced to six months in jail and a fine of Dh5,000 for offering chocolates and Dh500 bribe to a female employee in traffic and licensing department at the Sharjah Police.

The woman, who reportedly failed the driving test seven times, allegedly bribed the female staff to help her get over the hurdle, while requesting her to issue her a driving licence.

The court, presided by Judge Mahmoud Abaker, charged the woman with bribery and ordered her to be deported after serving the jail term.

The female traffic official said she informed the police because she couldn’t have performed a work that violated her job ethics.

The police records showed that the accused offered the money as bribe, which was punishable under Articles 237 and 238 of the Federal Penal Code.

During the court hearing, the defendant said that she gave the money and chocolates as gift and had no intention to bribe the staff. During prosecution’s investigation, the plaintiff said that the accused had told to her about the difficulty in obtaining a licence because of repeatedly failing the driving tests.

The accused, who is in her thirties, claimed to be innocent since the start of the investigation, saying that she didn’t seek any favour from the staff.

However, the court refused to accept her defence and sentenced her to prison while slapping fine on her.

Article 237 of the Federal Penal Code says that any offer made to a public official or a public servant, even if he or she has not accepted it, shall be punished by imprisonment. Article 238 underlines that the offender shall be fined Dh1,000 or more for the crime.

amira@khaleejtinmes.com