DUBAI // A policeman sentenced to six months in jail for accepting cash and alcohol bribes from a bootlegger and pimp in return for not arresting them must see out his term, the Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday.
Iranian J M, 34, accepted Dh7,000 a month plus 90 bottles of alcohol between 2011 and 2013. In addition to the jail time he was fined Dh14,860 by Dubai Criminal Court in February.
Bangladeshi A W, 32, an illegal resident, who was sentenced to a year in jail for running a bootlegging and prostitution ring, had his sentence reduced to six months, to be followed by deportation.
The court heard that as well as accepting payments from the bootlegger, the policeman took bribes from three other bootleggers.
The Bangladeshi told prosecutors that in 2011 the policeman approached him and said he knew about his illegal activities. “He was wearing his uniform and then slapped me in the face, pulled me by my shirt and threatened to take me to the police station,” A W said. “He then asked me for Dh500 a week in return for not arresting me.”
He said that he paid him the weekly amount, which eventually rose to Dh7,000 a month.
About four weeks later, the policeman demanded that the bootlegger take him to a brothel and pay for him to have sex with a prostitute.
“I found out later from the man who ran the brothel that he was also paying money to J M to keep quiet about his business activities,” A W testified.
Police organised a sting operation in which they observed the policeman taking money from A W.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
