Man threatens to cut envoy 'into pieces', burn Dubai home

Picture used for illustrative purposes alone

A retired man faced trial on Tuesday in the Court of First Instance on charges of blackmail and making criminal threats against an ambassador.
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The court was told that the 41-year-old Emirati man threatened the ambassador, a compatriot, and intimidated him in an attempt to make him vacate his villa.
He allegedly threatened to burn him along with his family and house if he did not leave the house he had built on the land which he had bought from him.
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He is also accused of trespassing into the villa premises. 
The complainant, 39, said that around 10:30 am he received a phone call from his friend who stayed in his villa in Al Warqa. "He told me that two men, including the accused, climbed the fence into the villa. I advised him to stay indoors, close the door and wait for me," he told the prosecutor.
"When I reached there I found the two men sitting under the car shade.
I asked them to leave but they would not. The accused threatened to burn me together with my family and the house if I did not vacate the house which I built on the land I had bought from him".
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The complainant added that the defendant's friend threatened him that he would cut him into two pieces with a sword.
The case dates back to November 2, 2012 but it was not clear according to the prosecution records why it took that long to reach the court.
The arrest was made in September 2015 by Al Qusais police.
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During the interrogation, the accused admitted only to the trespass charge.
"We went to the villa after a problem was reported to us. We found the two involved together with two others, including a European man.
We learned that the accused entered the villa with his friend without the consent of its owner," a police sergeant said.
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"The accused claimed that he entered through the gate and said he was by himself".
The defendant admitted during the public prosecution investigation that he had sold a plot of land to the complainant who built on it later and made an investment".
The complainant presented the documents proving that he was the owner of the land and the house.
The next hearing will be held on February 26.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai