Nightclub doorman charged for demanding entry bribe

A Dubai nightclub doorman charged with accepting the Dh300 bribe tells the court he only received a tip and the case had been filed against him maliciously.

DUBAI // A nightclub bouncer charged with accepting a bribe told the court he only received a tip and the case had been filed against him maliciously. The 34-year-old Egyptian bouncer H M was accused by prosecutors of asking for and accepting a Dh300 bribe from three undercover Dubai Tourism department inspectors attempting to enter Platinum Nightclub in the Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. H M today denied the charges and said they had been brought against him because he filed a labour case against his employer, Black Tiger Security Services, which he won. Prosecution records show the alleged crime took place on March 27 last year. The three men were stopped at the entrance of the nightclub and asked to pay for entry. The inspectors questioned how much the charge was and were told to pay Dh100 each. After entering the club, the inspectors issued the management a Dh20,000 fine. On the same evening, club manager Bashir Shamo'on contacted the manager of Black Tiger Security Services and told him the fine would be deducted from their retainer fees. Records show the security firm's manager, Egyptian Mohammed Abdel Ghany, contacted H M the following day and questioned him about the fine. Abdel Ghany told prosecutors H M said he regularly received money from people who wanted to get into the club. The court has been adjourned until September 30 for the defence to be submitted. [e-mail]