Death threats over lawsuit, court told

Man is accused of telling complainant he would kill him if he did not drop the suit.

DUBAI // A salesman threatened to kill a Canadian man if he did not drop a complaint filed against him at the Rashidiya police station, a Dubai court heard this morning.

The suspect, MA, 27, from Pakistan, denied the charge before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance and told Judge Fahmi Mounir Fahmi that the witnesses were of Arab nationalities and there was no way they could have understood the Punjabi dialect he used in conversations with the victim.

Records showed that MA called the victim, identified as JJ, on April 3, 2010, and told him to drop the case filed against him and some friends, noting it would lead to a prison sentence and deportation.

Prosecutors said MA told JJ that even if he got deported, he would sneak back into the country and kill him.

The records did not elaborate on the nature of the case filed against MA and his friends, who were not identified in court records.

MA told the judge he called JJ to persuade him to drop the case, but did not threaten him.

Prosecutors said an Egyptian and a Bahrini, both friends of JJ, testified that MA threatened to kill JJ.

JJ told prosecutors MA called him twice, but only threatened him during the second call.

A verdict is expected on February 16.

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