Man jailed for residency visa bribe has Dubai jail sentence reduced

Indian has jail term reduced from three years to three months after being found guilty of offering a bribe to officer if he overlooked fines.

DUBAI // A man who was sentenced to three years in jail for offering a residency officer Dh10,000 to overlook application violations got his sentence reduced to three months by the appeal court.

Indian AN, 42, was said to have submitted seven residency visa applications for renewal on May 5 last year, one of which was for a person who overstayed his visa for 356 days and has Dh7,980 in fines.

Prosecutors said he then offered an officer at the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department Dh10,000 if he was able to cancel the fines and renew the other six visas despite the fact that they were all missing important documents.

The officer, Emirati KM, 27, said that four of the visas were for a couple and their two sons. He told his supervisors and he was advised to play along.

On May 12 last year, the officer met the defendant, as agreed, and received the bribe while police were watching. The defendant was then arrested.

At Dubai Criminal Court last September, AN denied the charge against him but was convicted and sentenced to three years and deportation.

After appealing, he will now serve only three months.