Murderer stands trial in UAE, 10 years after killing Arab man

Sharjah - He entered the UAE under a new identity, but soon started inquiring about the crime, which made the police suspicious.

An Asian was brought to justice and faced trial 10 years after committing a murder.

The accused stabbed an Arab man 15 times and then slit his throat back in 2007, after which he fled the country.

The man finally stood trial in the Sharjah criminal court, which started the hearing of the 10-year-old case. Since the victim's brother did not attend the court hearing, the presiding judge adjourned the case till the end of January.

During the incident, the accused had stabbed and killed the victim inside the latter's own home. He remained at large and free all these years, until he was recently arrested in an operation planned and executed by the Sharjah Police.

The accused was charged with premeditated murder. After his arrest, he confessed to killing the victim in an apartment in a Sharjah industrial area. He bought a knife and broke into the flat with the intention of killing the victim, after a quarrel between them over financial issues.

The crime came to light when the dead man's brother reported his 33-year-old sibling missing after the latter did not attend his calls or maintain communication with his family. The police then investigated the matter and found the victim dead in his apartment. The defendant had already fled the country by then and he hadn't been arrested arrested until now, as he used a different name and passport to come back to the UAE.

However, the case remained under surveillance. Although the culprit returned to the country using a different identity, the police zeroed down on him after they were tipped off that he was making enquiries about the dead person and the murder incident. He immediately became a suspect in the crime and on his arrest, confessed to the act and his dealings with the victim.

The accused also told the police that he left the country just a few hours after committing the crime, so that he would not be traced.

amira@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah