Bootlegger who offered policeman Dh50,000 monthly bribe is jailed

The accused said he was instructed to make the offer by his manager who said they had incurred Dh2.5m in losses due to police raids

A bootlegger who tried to bribe an officer with a Dh50,000 monthly salary in return for tips about police raids will spend a year in prison.

The Indian accountant, 45, befriended the Emirati officer, who works for Dubai police’s anti-bootlegging section, about two years ago.

In December, he called the officer and offered him Dh30,000 as an initial payment and a Dh50,000 monthly salary if he informed him of any upcoming raids.

“He wanted me to convince fellow officers at the same section to avoid making raids to Al Muhaisna area — known as Sonapur — where there are some bootleggers,” said the officer.

The policeman pretended to agree to his offer, to set a trap, and then reported the incident, the court heard.

On January 21, the officer, directed by the criminal investigations department, met with the accused at a car park in Nahda area.

The accountant was arrested as he gave the officer the Dh30,000 bribe and during police questioning he admitted to offering bribes.

He said a well-known bootlegger, who lives outside of the UAE and manages the illegal alcohol trade in Al Muhaisna area, instructed him to approach the officer with the cash because his business had incurred nearly Dh2.5 million in losses due to police raids.
At Dubai Criminal Court in March, the accused denied a charge of offering bribes.
On Thursday, he was sentenced to one year in prison and fined Dh80,000. He will be deported on serving his term.