Man denies threatening behaviour

A Syrian man denies he insulted and threatened to cut the hands off two policemen and a customs officer after he was asked to submit to a body search.

DUBAI // A Syrian man yesterday denied he insulted and threatened to cut the hands off two policemen and a customs officer after he was asked to submit to a body search. Judge Mounir Fahmi of the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance revoked the bail of the accused, a 21-year-old identified as AM, after he arrived late for the hearing. Public Prosecution said an Emirati police lieutenant, identified as AS, 22, asked AM to accompany him to a booth for a body search early on Sep 3 last year at Dubai International Airport.

"When I asked him to empty his pockets he refused and asked to see my superior," AS told the prosecution. Customs inspector MA was called in to try to reason with the man. A third police officer, YM, tried to calm him, but the man said he would kill the officers and cut off their hands if they searched him. "Give me a phone, I will call my sponsor and he will fire you all," he said. He claimed to have drugs in his suitcase and dared officers to search it. But no narcotics were found in his luggage. "Is this how Arabs behave, how Muslims act ? the Israelis are better than you," the defendant said, according to the public prosecution.

The accused pleaded not guilty to charges of insulting and threatening to kill and maim police and customs inspectors. The case was adjourned until Oct 8. [e-mail]