'Police promised freedom for naming man I've never met' Dubai court told

The 21-year-old is accused of stealing Dh46,500 from a car rental firm after using copied keys to gain entry to the office.

DUBAI // A suspect in a robbery has claimed police tortured him and told him to mention the name of a man he did not know as his accomplice in exchange for freedom.

The 21-year-old RS is accused of stealing Dh46,500 from a car rental firm after using copied keys to gain entry to the office, and appeared in Dubai Criminal Court today.

RS, an Emirati, told presiding judge Maher Salameh that when he was arrested, a policeman gave his TA's name and asked him to say TA was his accomplice in the robbery.

"The policeman told me if I complied with his demand, he would get me out of this case," said RS.

TA, a 41-year-old whom police say was once employee at the car rental firm, is facing the same charge.

He denies involvement and told the Dubai Criminal Court he did not know RS nor had he seen him before in his life. "I was arrested and tortured by police who tried to force me to confess to a charge of robbery but I refused," said the Emirati in court.

"They told me I was poor so where I do get my money from except from theft. They told me that my wife and I were thieves and they would arrest my wife as well," said TA.

Both men are charged with robbery and both have denied the charges.

Arresting officer HE, 27, told prosecutors they received a report of robbery on October 25 last year and their investigations lead them to TA. "He willingly confessed in front of me," said HE in records.

MH, also a policeman, testified that TA worked at the car rental and possessed copies of the office keys which he used to open its door and rob the place.

"Both defendants confessed to theft charges when interrogated by police," said MH, adding that RS confessed he received Dh8,000 for his role in the robbery.

The next hearing will be held on March 3.