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Inspection supervisor denies seeking bribe

An inspection supervisor of the Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing denied in the Court of First Instance on Thursday having solicited Dh25,000 as bribe from a hotel owner in return for not conducting inspection visits and not issuing him tickets in cases of law and regulation violations.

The 44-year-old Emirati, identified as KM, also denied the second charge of having solicited Dh50,000 in two installments as bribe from the same hotel-owner, for not carrying out his regular inspection duties. The hotel-owner, a 45-year-old Indian businessman, identified as RJ, denied aiding and abetting KM in the second bribe case by agreeing to give him the money in two installments.

RJ alleged before the presiding judge, Ali Attiah Saad, that he was threatened and intimidated to pay the bribe of Dh25,000.

Saeed Al Guilani, defense lawyer of KM, argued in court that his client had issued RJ a ticket for a certain violation in his hotel and his complaint was filed maliciously. He requested that his client be released on bail and wondered how KM. was being held in provisional detention while RJ was out.

“If they are accomplices in the bribe crime, why one is jailed while the other is behind bars,” Al Guilani said. Al Guilani requested that the court address the Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing for a statement of inspection visits and violation tickets issued by his client from the beginning of the year.

KM was arrested in a sting operation by the Dubai Police in May in the lobby of a hotel in Al Garhoud.

The police acted on a tip-off that KM was abusing his public position to solicit and collect bribes in return for not conducting his routine visits and not issuing tickets for any violations. —mary@khaleejtimes.com