Bribe attempts fail for man with alcohol

DUBAI // A bank clerk who claimed that two officers assaulted him after he was caught transporting alcohol illegally has been sentenced to six months in jail. AK, 35, from India, was arrested on February 22 when officers recovered 300 bottles of whiskey from his car after pulling him over. He claimed he was beaten with a wooden stick by officers. The police, however, said he offered them bribes totalling Dh50,000 (US$13,600) and a Lexus automobile if they would let him go free.

The suspect was seen driving in a suspicious manner in Jebel Ali, police said. He was asked to exit his 4x4 by an officer who saw bags on the back seat that he suspected contained alcohol. The driver opened the door violently, pushing the officer outside his vehicle to the ground. He then attempted to escape on foot before being caught and subdued. The officer testified that another officer had picked up a stick and hit the defendant as he sought to flee, which led him to fall on pipes and barbed wire.

That is when he offered two policemen Dh25,000 each to be let go. When a third officer at the scene asked AK what he would receive, AK responded that he would give him a Lexus he had won at the Dubai Shopping Festival. The defendant will be deported after serving his sentence. @Email:amustafa@thenational.ae