Officers threw wild party, court told

Thirteen members of the police force were among 23 charged with attending a party in Dubai that included pornography and alcohol

DUBAI // More than 20 people - including 13 police officers - accused of going to a wild party in a Mirdiff villa that included pornography and alcohol denied charges in court yesterday.

Sixteen Emirati men, two Bangladeshi men and one stateless man; and one Emirati woman and three Omani women appeared yesterday morning in the Dubai Court of Misdemeanors. They denied the charges of coercion and enticement to commit sin, illegal alcohol consumption and distribution, perjury, and possession and distribution of pornographic materials.

Public prosecution records show the arrests took place about 1am on August 4, 2010, after a Dubai police major living nearby called the Rashidiya police station.

When police arrived, they found several large posters of naked women on the walls, records said.

The suspects told prosecutors they were having a party that included nothing illicit and did not involve drinking alcohol. They also said they were sitting and conversing when they were attacked by police officers in civilian clothes and arrested without being given reasons.

Three Omani sisters, 27, 26 and 17, told prosecutors that they were visiting a friend on their second day in the country. Records stated that forensic reports did not show any recent sexual contact when the women were examined. The 17-year-old suspect was referred to the Juvenile Court.

An Emirati woman, RY, 33-year-old divorcee and mother of two, told prosecutors she had been invited by a friend to the party and had arrived just 30 minutes before the arrests.

“I was depressed due to severe disputes with my ex-husband and my friend thought the party would cheer me up,” she told prosecutors, adding that there were no alcohol in the villa.

According to records, the villa is rented by three of the suspects, MM, AA, and HS - all police officers - who told investigators they often invited friends over for lunches or dinners.

Prosecutors added the coercion and enticement to commit sin charges after officers found the party guests in "a position that defies public decency", the records stated. A large number of alcoholic drinks and bottles were recovered at the scene, according to records.

The next hearing was scheduled for January 30, where the defence lawyers will present their case.