DUBAI // The two men arrested in the killing of the former Chechen warlord Sulim Yamadayev have been refused bail for a fourth time. The presiding judge, Hamad Abdel Latif, ordered the defendants, ML from Iran and MJ, a Tajik national, to be kept in custody. Their lawyers argued that their detention was unnecessary because they would abide by any conditions set by the court. The men, accused of aiding and abetting the murder of Yamadayev and possessing an unlicensed weapon, have been in custody since April. Yamadayev, 35, when he was killed, was shot in a car park beneath Jumeirah Beach Residence on March 28.
Police said he had survived multiple attempts on his life before he moved to Dubai, where he had apparently been living with his wife and six children. According to the charge sheet, police officers claim the defendants have confessed to their part in the plot. At a court appearance on August 31, however, both men denied this was the case. The trial was adjourned yesterday until February 1 after one of the investigating officers, Mohammed Hassan al Mutawa, failed to appear in court for cross examination.
In the previous hearing, Judge Latif refused to accept the defence lawyers' request to subpoena the Chechen president, Ramzan Kadyrov. Yamadayev had been a strong adversary and opponent of Mr Kadyrov, who has denied any involvement in the plot. He had once commanded Chechen rebels but reportedly switched sides to fight for the Russians. Dubai Police have also alleged the involvement of Adam Delimkhanov, a Russian MP and the former Chechen deputy prime minister, in the killing.
amustafa@thenational.ae
