Lawyers in the UK say they have secured the release of a Scottish man detained while holidaying in Dubai over accusations he tried to exchange a forged £20 note.
The case of Billy Barclay, from Edinburgh, has received publicity in Britain following his arrest on a counterfeiting charge, which he denied.
Mr Barclay, 31, insisted the police had made a mistake when he was arrested at Dubai International Airport on arriving in the UAE with his family in September.
The charges related to a trip to Ras Al Khaimah the previous year, when he tried to exchange £140, but one of the notes turned out to be counterfeit.
Police were called to the exchange centre and Mr Barclay was arrested and questioned, but later released without charge.
His lawyers have said a system error left his case open, and the home decorator was arrested again by police, and had his passport confiscated.
Mr Barclay’s legal team have said he is due to be released immediately, with the matter resolved.
“Authorities telephoned me today to advise that they had arranged for Mr Barclay’s passport to be returned at 20.30 local time this evening,” said Radha Stirling, a UK-based lawyer who is representing Mr Barclay.
“They told me that they would escort him to the airport and make sure he is back in Edinburgh, reunited with his family as soon as possible," Radha Stirling, a UK-based lawyer who is representing Mr Barclay.
“I was also advised that they would pay for his hotel bills.
“I have spoken with Billy and his family who are over the moon, relieved and excited that their ordeal has almost come to an end. They can breathe again.”
Mr Barclay’s case had won support from Ian Murray, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh, while his family had made several pleas for his release in UK media outlets.
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
RESULTS
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid