Prosecutors lose battle to have man caught smuggling alcohol jailed for bribery

They said Pakistani offered money and the 52 bottles of alcohol to arresting officers but he was instead jailed for only possessing alcohol without a licence.

DUBAI // Prosecutors yesterday lost their appeal against the acquittal of a man they said attempted to bribe police officers after being caught trying to smuggle 52 bottles of alcohol in the boot of his car.

They said Pakistani M A, 29, ran from police into the desert before offering the arresting officers the bottles as a bribe.

On October 17 last year, a police patrol pulled over his car on Emirates Road. Officers asked him for his papers and requested he open up the car’s boot.

“He told us that he had just received a phone call informing him his mother had passed away and that he was in a hurry,” testified Emirati policeman M B, 21.

The officer said the driver kept repeating himself instead of opening the boot and that when he finally did, he ran into the desert.

“As we saw the alcohol, he started running towards the desert and I chased him while my colleague took the patrol car and chased as well,” M B said.

After three kilometres, the policeman caught up with the driver.

“‘What is the use of catching me?’ he said to me and to my colleague when we apprehended him,” said M B, who said the Pakistani offered the officers Dh10,000 as well as the 52 bottles of alcohol if they let him go.

“We kept silent as he kept repeating his offer, then we called for backup,” M B said.

The officers said that when the defendant was questioned he confessed to having been given the alcohol by a man in Ajman to deliver to Dubai in return for Dh300.

The defendant was referred to Dubai Court of Misdemeanours, where he was sentenced to a month in jail for possessing alcohol without a licence.

At the criminal court he was found not guilty of offering a bribe to police officers.