DUBAI // A man must see out his one-year jail sentence for offering a bribe to a government employee in exchange for not fining him for overstaying his visa, the Dubai Court of Appeal has ruled.
Prosecutors said Pakistani S M, 43, had accumulated Dh52,000 in fines for staying in the country longer that his visa allowed.
S M offered a Dh5,000 bribe to an employee at the Naturalisation and Residency office in return for allowing him to leave the UAE without paying the fines.
A S, 31, testified that on September 10 last year he contacted S M regarding his fines. “When I did he offered me a Dh5,000 bribe,” said A S, who informed his management then police.
Acting on police orders, A S arranged to meet S M the following day at the car park of the Naturalisation and Residency office to take the bribe money and S M’s passport.
“He told me he will only hand me the money after I had cancelled his fines, which the police approved. I did so and when I gave him the document to show that his fines were cancelled, he handed me the bribe and police arrested him,” said A S.
S M was found guilty of overstaying his visa, failing to pay fines and offering a bribe. He denied all of the charges in the criminal court in November last year.
The court also fined S M Dh2,000. He will be deported after serving his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae
