Police officer denies neglect in escape case

Policewoman is accused of negligence over the escape of a prison inmate.

DUBAI // A policewoman has denied that her negligence allowed a prisoner to escape from Al Qusais police station.

AS, 26, was accused of failing to keep an adequate watch on an Iraqi detainee. Prosecutors told the Dubai Misdemeanours Court she let the inmate visit the phone booth without handcuffs on July 19.

The officer said it was her third day of work at the station, having transferred from the airport security section of the police.

She said another officer, NJ, arrived with the prisoner and left her in a room behind the reception area before going home.

AS said she then became busy with reception tasks, such as answering phone calls and attending to questions from the public.

Later on, she noticed that the prisoner was no longer there.

She told the court the other officer had not handcuffed the prisoner and had left her in the unlocked room without asking her to take the prisoner into custody.

NJ, 32, said watching over prisoners was one of AS's responsibilities. She said she left the detainee with her on the orders of a higher-ranking officer and did not handcuff the prisoner as she was told.

The case was adjourned until May 7.