Driving licence point invalid in Chechen case

The Dubai Court of Appeal turned down a request by the defence lawyer of the prime accused in the Chechen rebel leader’s assassination case to check with the Roads and Transport Authority whether he holds a driving licence.

Lawyer Abdullah Al Madani had raised the point that MT, Iranian clerk, did not hold a UAE driving licence so how could he have followed the car of Sulim Yamadayev to monitor his movements in Dubai.

The court found the point invalid and turned down the request.

Al Madani told Emirates 24|7 that at the next hearing he will focus on the testimony of the police forensic doctor Farida Al Shamali. He believes it contradicts the forensic reports in some details, especially those related to lifting fingerprints of MT from the zipper of the handbag that contained the murder weapon allegedly used to kill Yamadayev.

Al Shamali had testified after failing to do so for two hearings. Her absence at the last hearing prompted the judge to order her to pay a Dh500 fine. The court later in the day cancelled the fine as the doctor made her testimony after the court closed its session.

“We are going to focus on the contradictory details, especially those related to removing the fingerprints on the bag’s zipper after we lost the driving licence point,” said Al Madani.

As the lawyer of the second accused, MK, a Tajik businessman, has gone to perform Umrah, a lawyer representing him asked the court for some time to prepare his defence.

The court adjourned the case until September 19.

The Dubai Court of First Instance had awarded MT and MK life sentences for their role in Yamayadev's assassination in March 2009.

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