Theft suspect denies being in country

He and another man are accused of stealing Dh200,000 from a car in Dubai.

DUBAI // A man accused of stealing Dh200,000 from a car told a Dubai court this morning he was not in the country at the time of the theft.

“I was not in the country, your honour. I left  on November 3 and returned on December 3 last year,” the man told Judge Fahmy Mounir Fahmy at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. He added that he would provide the court with his original passport to show exit and entrance stamps.

The defendant, SA, 38, and his alleged accomplice AA, 50, both from Sudan, have been charged with smashing the window of the car and taking money found inside.

According to prosecutors, the victim, SM, had parked his car near Al Hilal Bank in Al Qusais area and left Dh200,000 hidden under the driver’s seat. On November 22, 2010, AA and SA are accused of breaking into it.

EA, a police officer, testified that after they received a report about the theft, they got a recording of the incident from the bank’s surveillance camera.

He said a vague image of AA was obtained from the recording and used to track him down, records show.

SA was arrested shortly afterwards and was found to have the tool used to breaking the window, EA said.

The next hearing was scheduled for March 16 for the court to issue its verdict.