ABU DHABI // An Interior Ministry translator convicted of passing confidential police information to the Indian consulate had no access to such material, the appeals court has heard.
M Q, from India, was jailed for five years by the criminal court for supplying an Indian embassy employee – referred to as A – with secret information from the police system. This included the phone number of a person called A B, the court heard.
At the appeal hearing on Tuesday, M Q, denied giving any information, saying his contact with A was solely to exchange information and documents related to an inheritance legal dispute with his sister in India.
The court reminded him he had earlier confessed to the charges.
“State security prosecutors pressured me to confess,”’ he said.
The judge further challenged him about his confessions in the criminal court.
“In court you confessed and it is recorded in the file, there was no pressure against you in court and you confessed that you gave the Indian consul information from the police system about certain people, including A B.” The defendant replied by asking the judge what document did he say he gave to A B.
“I am asking you, you don’t ask the court,” the judge said.
M Q then again denied the claim.
His defence lawyer said M Q’s work as a translator did not allow him access to the information at issue, and there was no proof of any documents having been stolen.
A verdict will be announced on February 18.
hdajani@thenational.ae
