DUBAI // A man jailed for 10 years for his part in the murder of his sponsor has had his sentence reduced to seven years by the Dubai Court of Appeal.
Pakistani M A, 22, was jailed after prosecutors said he had restrained F Z while his compatriot, M F, 25, cut the Afghan’s throat with a knife.
M F received life in jail for the murder, which took place at the victim’s office on December 11, 2013.
The pair stole three packets of money – two containing dirhams and one containing dollars – and fled to Sharjah to meet compatriot M A A, who was asked to arrange for them to be smuggled out the country.
“M F said he had killed his sponsor and that they wanted to leave the country, so I arranged it with another man who requested Dh5,000 from each of them,” M A A told prosecutors.
F Z’s body was discovered at 4.20am the next day by his compatriot M B, 35, when he returned to his apartment, which was in the same building as the office.
“I found the body between the bed and the wall,” said M B. “I freaked out and called for help, then called police.”
An investigation led officers to arrest M A A, 23, at his apartment where they found Dh186,000 and US$14,000 (Dh51,421).
While in custody, M A A received a call from M F who asked for Dh20,000. M M and M F were arrested in a sting operation.
Prosecutors said M F confessed to killing the victim because he had insulted and assaulted him after he brought M A to the office to fix a computer.
“He claimed that it was the victim who had the blade and tried to attack him with it,” said police captain A S.
M A said that M F did not mean to kill F Z, but had accidentally cut his throat while trying to remove the blade from his hand.
“M A told me that the blade hit the man’s neck once. He started bleeding and M F freaked out then ran away after taking the money.”
At the Dubai Criminal Court last April, M F and M A denied the charges of premeditated murder and theft.
M A A was acquitted of aiding and abetting, but was jailed for five years for possessing stolen money.
The Dubai Court of Appeals reduced M A’s sentence, while M F will serve the duration of his prison term.
M A A, M A and M F will be deported when their sentences are completed.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
