ABU DHABI // The Supreme Court has ruled that a man accused of causing disturbance by calling another nine times should not have been cleared of paying a Dh50,000 fine by the Appeals Court.
The Emirati man was accused by another of disturbing him by ringing him repeatedly despite him not answering the calls.
Prosecutors charged him with using Etisalat services to disturb another and hurt his feelings, in addition to verbally insulting the accuser.
The Khor Fakkan First Instance Court found him guilty and sentenced him to Dh50,000 in absentia.
He filed for retrial, but the court upheld the verdict, and he appealed.
The Appeals Court cleared him of the first charge and sentenced him to pay Dh1,000 for verbal insults.
At the Federal Supreme Court public prosecution argued that the ruling did not take into account prosecution evidence which showed the defendant had confessed to calling the accuser nine times.
The Supreme Court agreed with the argument, citing federal law that states: “Whoever used telecommunication devices or services to cause damage, disturbance, or hurt the feelings of another … should be punished by a jail sentenced that does not exceed one year, and/or a fine no less than Dh50,000.”
The court accepted the cassation and referred the case back to appeals.
hdajani@thenational.ae
