Court accepts appeal and cancels deportation

Aya Al Deeb, Staff  Reporter

The Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation overturned an appellate verdict fining a suspect Dhs30,000 on charges of smuggling rough diamonds. The court ordered the confiscation of the diamonds.

The court affirmed that it was not permissible to initiate a criminal lawsuit or take any measures related to it before receiving a written request from the Customs Authority in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The Abu Dhabi Customs previously arrested the suspect at the airport in possession of diamonds, and transferred him to the Public Prosecution, where he was investigated by the Tourism Prosecution.

The Public Prosecution charged him with smuggling rough diamonds and requested that he be punished according to the articles of the federal laws.

The Court of First Instance ruled that the suspect be imprisoned for two months, besides a Dhs30,000 fine, deportation and confiscation of the diamonds. He was also obliged to pay the criminal fees.

The suspect appealed the verdict and the court accepted the appeal and cancelled the jail sentence and the deportation.

The suspect appealed again stating that the ruling was against the law because no written request had been issued by the Customs Authority.

The Cassation Prosecution filed a memorandum refusing the appeal, but the court affirmed that it was not permissible to file a lawsuit or take any measures related to it except by a written request from the Customs Authority in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Separately, two Indian students were killed in a horrific traffic accident that took place at dawn on Wednesday in Jebel Ali Gardens area while spending their holidays in Dubai, a Dubai Police source said.

The car the two students were in had hit the pavement before it overturned in an area full of trees and was completely destroyed, the source added.