Witness accuses police of ‘dictating’ testimony
A prosecution witness turned hostile, accusing the police of ‘dictating’ his statement to him.
The case involves an Emirati businessman accused of threatening to kill a journalist.
The witness, Abdul Jalil Mamounhi, 22, an Indian, who works as a servant for the Emirati businessman, OMO, 39, told the Dubai Criminal Court last week that his testimony made during the cross examination by the prosecution was given because of fear of the police and that they told him what to testify.
When Judge Abdul Jawad asked him why his earlier testimony was changed, Mamounhi said that his first testimony before the prosecution was out of fear of the police and that the policemen dictated to him what to say.
As per the chargesheet, filed on January 27, OMO, 39, entered a room where journalist, MMO, 23, was present and threatened him at gunpoint if he informed the police about a sexual assault he was subjected to by OMO’s friends.
In his latest testimony, Mamounhi told the court that the victim came to visit OMO for about one-to-two hours while he was sitting in the other room watching TV. He denied that the two fought.
When asked by Presiding Judge Hamad Abdullatif Abdul Jawad whether the accused threatened or abused the journalist, Mamounhi said: “No.”
Then the judge asked him if he understood Arabic, to which Mamounhi replied: “A little bit. I can say that they did not fight because their voices were not raised and they were talking normally.”
The change in testimony shocked the court as Mamounhi had testified before the prosecutions that he saw his sponsor OMO enter the room of his friend NN carrying a gun and MMO was present in the same room. After leaving the room, OMO gave him Mamounhi the gun and asked him to put back in its place.
The court is yet to hear the testimony of NN, accused of sexual assault, for which a separate case has been filed.
According to the prosecution, policeman Sadiq Nasser Abdulqawi, 27, testified that the accused NN - who is a witness in this case - had confessed that his friend OMO threatened MMO with torture, deportation and death if he notified police about the sexual assault.
The police confiscated five pistols from OMO’s possession in addition to 48, 9mm bullets, and another 50 of 6.35mm caliber.
OMO who told the prosecution that the pistols were gifts is also accused of possessing a weapon without a licence.
In the previous hearing OMO denied threatening MMO but has confessed to possessing the guns.
The court adjourned the case till October.