ABU DHABI // The 15-day period for filing an appeal in the trial of Sheikh Issa bin Zayed expired yesterday, formally concluding the proceeding.
Sheikh Issa was acquitted on January 10 of abusing an Afghan grain vendor on a farm near Al Ain due to "diminished responsibility" brought about by drugs that the sheikh had been tricked into taking.
The court held that two Lebanese-American brothers, Bassam and Ghassan Nabulsi, former business partners of Sheikh Issa, drugged him and taped the sheikh as he abused Mohammed Shapoor, in an apparent effort to blackmail the sheikh.
The court said two witnesses saw Ghassan Nabulsi put a pill in Sheikh Issa's drink.
Mr Shapoor was hospitalised for more than 20 days after the incident, according to court documents. He settled out of court with Sheikh Issa for an undisclosed sum.
According to Islamic law, as cited by the judge in the verdict: "A drunk person cannot be punished for his crimes if he did not know the content he was drinking contains alcohol and this drunkenness caused him to commit a crime while he is mentally unaware." The judge cited several cases in Egypt's supreme court in which the argument of diminished responsibility was used successfully.
The Nabulsis were sentenced in absentia to five years each. Three other men, accused of helping restrain or abuse Mr Shapoor, received sentences of one to three years. Another man, accused of being a security officer who appeared in the video, was acquitted because he could not be positively identified.
Sheikh Issa is suing the Nabulsis over damage to his reputation.
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Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
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Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
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Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
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