Illicit tour guide charged with bribery, court told

DUBAI // A man tried to bribe an officer who caught him providing tourist services without a licence and permit, a court was told today.

ZD, 30, from China, charged with offering a bribe to a Dubai police officer in return for deleting a Dh5,000 fine issued against him.

According to records, ZD was spotted by AM, 23, a police officer with Dubai's CID Tourism Security Department, while giving a tour to two Chinese men and a woman on June 2.

AM testified that he saw him showing them around Jumeirah Souq in Um Suqeim, so he approached ZD and asked about his activity.

"I showed him my police ID because I was in my traditional clothes," said AM, adding that ZD told him the men and woman were his friends and only spoke Chinese.

AM contacted dispatch for a Chinese translator, who questioned the three people. They said they were tourists and that ZD was providing them with a tour around Dubai.

At that point AM wrote down ZD's car and driving licence details to issue him a fine, but ZD requested to talk to him privately, he said.

"He grabbed some money from his right pocket and tried to put it in my hand in return for deleting his details and canceling the fine," AM said.

ZD did not appear before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance this morning and is expected in court on October 10.

salamir@thenational.ae