Men bribed police officer to release prisoner, hears Dubai court

Three men tried to bribe a police officer into helping them rescue two prisoners from the Hatta detention centre, hears court.

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DUBAI // Three men tried to bribe a police officer to release two prisoners at the Hatta detention centre, a court heard yesterday.

Prosecutors said that A F, 42, from India, and A S, 28, and M A, 27, from Pakistan, offered Dh22,000 to the corporal M T in return for releasing two Pakistanis jailed for entering the country illegally after being deported.

The corporal told his manager about the bribe and was encouraged to play along with the scam as part of a sting operation.

He met the three men at the Hatta Fort Hotel on August 5 this year to receive the first instalment of the money.

“One of the three men handed the corporal Dh15,000 and said the rest would be handed to him once the men are out of jail,” testified a police officer involved in the sting.

The three men were then arrested.

At the Criminal Court, all three denied a charge of offering a bribe to a public employee. “We gave him the money so he could give it to a lawyer [for our friends],” said one of the men.

A verdict is expected on November 10.

salamir@thenational.ae