Dubai cop gets reduced jail term over Dh100 theft

But he will have to pay two fines worth Dh100,000 and Dh5,000

A Dubai policeman, convicted of stealing cash from a cop working undercover as well as detained bootleggers, got his jail sentence reduced from two years to three months upon appeal.
The Yemeni officer, 24, was working within a team that tracks bootleggers and infiltrators when he was caught red-handed stealing Dh100 from a fellow cop who had gone undercover as a suspect in a case related to bootlegging activities.
The Court of First Instance had sentenced him to two years in jail and deportation. The Court of Appeals overturned the primary ruling and sentenced him to three months and ordered him to pay two fines worth Dh100,000 and Dh5,000. He was ordered to be deported afterwards.
The defendant denied the charge in court. But he admitted during interrogation that he stole the money from the other cop, adding that he had also stolen cash from some detainees.
The case dates back to November last year and was reported to Al Muraqqabat police station.
"We were tipped-off that the accused would steal money from the workers who get arrested for bootlegging. So we planted two informants among the suspects to verify the information. And he stole from them," a police lieutenant said.
"We handed an undercover officer Dh 655 and assigned the defendant to go with other officers to the parking lot near a hotel in Oud Al Mutteena where the job was to apprehend workers involved in bootlegging."
The accused was left in the police bus with the arrested suspects.
At the general directorate of criminal investigation, the undercover officer found that Dh100 was missing. The Dh100 was part of the Dh655 amount belonging to the police.
The ruling may be challenged at the Court of Cassation within 30 days. 
mary@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai