(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The 28-year-old Emirati is accused of setting a mattress on fire in his cell together with an unknown detainee.
Dubai: A detainee at Al Rashidiya police station has been charged in the Court of First Instance with arson and putting the lives of 90 other detainees at risk. The 28-year-old Emirati is accused of setting a mattress on fire in his cell together with an unknown detainee.
He also allegedly broke the glass of the surveillance camera control room at the detention centre estimated at Dh25530. The detainee is also facing charges of verbally abusing an on-duty police officer assaulting him and threatening to find his residence to kill him. The police officer who was allegedly assaulted by the detainee said he was on duty at around 10pm on March 13. “I noticed that the camera inside the defendant’s cell had been covered with wet tissues. At that moment I heard the accused calling me out.”
The accused wanted to be allowed out to walk about the detention centre. “As I turned down his request he spit on my face through the door’s hole and insulted me” the officer told the prosecutor.
The officer walked away and shortly later heard the detainee on trial threatening to set the place on fire. “By the time I informed the lieutenant on duty the tissues were taken off that camera. The accused was caught on camera burning a paper with a lighter and waving it as a threatening gesture.”
When the accused brought a mattress from another cell another detainee tried to drag him away from it. The camera inside his cell was by then covered by someone.
Flames were seen coming from the defendant’s cell. As the fire alarm went off and the civil defence and police officers were informed the detainees were removed. “The accused who was then holding an iron rod stood in front of the control room which was locked and threatened to find my residence and kill me”. The accused then banged with his hand twice on the glass door smashing it.
A verdict is expected on November 24.
— marykhaleejtimes.com