ABU DHABI // The two gunmen who shot two policemen during an undercover drugs sting have had their appeal against their life sentences adjourned.
The gunmen were appearing for the second time in front of the Appeals Court after the Court of Cassation sent their case back due to a procedural error.
On Monday, the Public Prosecution said that two witnesses were out of the country after resigning from their jobs. But the defence argued that they should not be allowed to travel overseas until all the evidence was heard.
The Appeals Court told the Public Prosecution to make sure all witnesses would be present by May 25.
F A, from Oman and M K, an Emirati, tried to sell 20kg of hashish to two undercover policemen in Bani Yas in February 2012. When they realised they were being ambushed by police they tried to shoot their way out.
F A was arrested at the scene while M K was caught two hours later while trying to flee to Yemen.
F A and M K had been previously sentenced to death by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court for drug dealing, shooting government employees on duty, possessing unlicensed guns and causing physical damage to police officers.
Those sentences were then commuted to life in prison by the Appeals Court.
They were also fined Dh50,000 each and ordered to pay Dh100,000 in damages to both of the shot policemen.
The case was sent back by the Cassation Court to the Appeals Court because records of the first appeals trial included the names of two judges only and did not include the name of the third.
There must be three judges registered in the case files for the trial to be complete.
anwar@thenational.ae
