Armed robbery accused asked alleged accomplice to swear on the Quran

DUBAI // A man accused of armed robbery asked a Dubai court to make his alleged accomplice put his hand on the Quran and swear he had been with him at the time of the crime.

“I swear by the name of Allah that I have nothing to do with this robbery and I know nothing about it. Have him swear on the Quran and if he does and says that I joined him, I will sit quite and take all the punishment you will give me,” said Yemeni AM, 20, at the Dubai Criminal Court.

Prosecutors charged Yemeni TA, 28, and AM with armed robbery. They said the defendants stole Dh1,500 in cash and a mobile phone worth Dh1,000 from an electronics store after forcing its door open. They also stole Dh4,000 in cash and a mobile phone worth Dh1,000 from a construction materials company, as well as Dh2,000 from a third company.

The two are also charged with damaging property at three of the companies.

Prosecutors said that TA confessed during interrogations that he and AM as well as two others who ran away, committed the crimes over the course of one day in December 2012 in the Al Qouz Industrial area.

Police managed to link the defendants to the crimes through their informants and arrested them.

The next hearing will be on March 26.

salamir@thenational.ae