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Apex court orders retrial in drug case

ABU DHABI — Turning down the prosecution’s request, the Federal Supreme Court ordered retrial of an Asian accused who had been sentenced to 10 years in jail for trafficking drugs.

Court records show that the Public Prosecution, charging the accused with trafficking heroin, prayed that he be penalised in consonance with Shariah rulings and the related anti-drugs articles of the Federal Penal Code.

The Sharjah Shariah Criminal Court ordered the Asian to serve 10 years in prison, followed by deportation, and ordered him to pay Dh50,000 as fine. The verdict was also upheld in the Sharjah Shariah Criminal Court of Appeal.

However, the defendant moved the Federal Supreme Court, where the prosecution sought rejection of his plea on the ground that he had not paid the court expenses. The apex court rejected the prosecution’s argument, and sent the case back to the Sharjah Shariah Criminal Court of Appeal for retrial.

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