Police officer spanked 'lying driver', Abu Dhabi court hears

A policeman spanked a man on his bottom with a wire because "he lied", hears court.

ABU DHABI // A policeman spanked a man using a wire because "he lied", the criminal court heard today.

"You must be OM," Chief Justice Sayed Abdul Baseer, head of the court, told the tall policeman who appeared in front of him. "You seem like the type who would beat up anyone.

"You are a policeman and you used violence with this weak man - who would fly if you blew at him - because of a traffic offence!" added the judge.

The policeman said he was chasing a car containing three suspected bootleggers and illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

He said he lost sight of the car for a while before spotting it parked on the side of the road between a number of lorries.

When he went to investigate the three men had gone, but after 30 minutes a small Indian man, JS, appeared and told him he was the one driving the car.

"They were three bigger men wearing Bangladeshi clothes, and then this man suddenly appears out of nowhere and says it was him!" said the policeman.

When the policeman told the judge he hit the Indian on his behind, the judge asked: "To humiliate him?"

The policeman said he was not allowed to hit the man anywhere on his body, so he decided to hit him on his bottom.

The judge asked the policeman if he found any alcohol in the car, he said he did not.

The Indian man was accused of reckless driving, running away from a traffic cop and using his car as a taxi without a licence. When the judge asked him if he was driving recklessly, he said he was going only 22 km/hr. He added that he had not initially noticed the police car following him, but said that when he did, he tried to escape. He admitted using his car as a taxi without a licence.

"Would you forgive OM and reconcile?" the judge asked the Indian man.

"If my car is returned to me today," he replied, explaining the rent had been accumulating since it was conviscated more than a month ago.

The verdict is expected on August 12.