12 suspects in the dock over murder, alcohol dust-up

Aya Al Deeb, Staff Reporter

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court looked into the case of 12 Asian suspects charged with murdering a person, assaulting and attempting to kill another, following disputes over alcohol trade.

The court adjourned the case to the 29th of this month to hear the testimony of the second witness.

The first witness told the court he had been abducted and assaulted for two hours, adding that he tried to flee but had been caught.

He indicated that the suspects kidnapped him and his friend from an industrial area and assaulted them with iron pipes and pieces of wood.

He added they were in a four-wheel drive vehicle and forced him inside the rear trunk of the vehicle where he saw the first victim, the deceased, surrounded by two suspects and was bleeding from his head.

The witness added, “I knew the victim was trafficking in drugs and while we were in the vehicle, he and the suspects talked about alcohol, then they headed to a dark sandy area where they assaulted me for more than half an hour. Then, they handed me over to others. They dropped me in an industrial area where I stopped a taxi and called a friend from the driver’s phone as the suspects stole my phone and my money. “

The witness added he stayed in his friend’s residence for three days and then went to a private hospital for treatment, where they told him to file a report and consequently he headed to the police station.

He also affirmed he knew nothing of the victim’s death until the police officer told him so during interrogations.