ABU DHABI // A man accused of shooting two police officers during a drugs sting operation that went wrong was pressurised into confessing, his lawyer told a court today.
Officers tried to arrest the 26-year-old Emirati MK and the 19-year-old Yemeni FA in February when they allegedly tried to sell 20kg of hashish to undercover agents in Bani Yas. The Yemeni was arrested on the spot, but the Emirati was said to have escaped after shooting the two undercover officers and their car a number of times. He was caught two hours later at the Yemeni border.
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court was today presented with the results of forensics test results conducted on the Emirati following claims that he had been forced into confessing after being beaten by police.
Chief Justice Sayed Abdul Baseer said that the report noted there were a number of bruises on the Emirati, but it concluded that these were more than a month old and were caused only by shackles.
The Emirati’s lawyer argued that the report supported his submission that his client was pressurised to confess during police interrogations.
The court was also played a DVD that police witnesses claimed showed the two men taking part in a drug deal three days before the shooting.
The DVD showed a man dressed in national clothes sitting in the passenger seat of a car along with the arm of the car’s driver.
The DVD had no sound and the judge said he was unable to identify either of the men from it.
“It only shows a man sitting in the car and him getting down from the car,” said the judge, who added that “the end doesn’t work as a film or a soap opera.”
The Emirati's lawyer asked for his client's passport to be presented in court to show whether he had travelled to Yemen or not.
Previously in court both men denied dealing drugs, but admitted taking them.
The case was adjourned until May 13.
hdajani@thenational.ae