Gulf News, Dubai, 22 April 2002

Three drug dealers jailed

Fujairah Sharia Court sentenced three Pakistanis and an Iranian to a total of 42 years in jail after finding them guilty of possessing drugs for purposes of trade.

Abdul Hamid Khada Dad, Humaid Ali Ibrahim and Ibrahim Abdullah - all Pakistanis - and Niyaz Shirag, an Iranian, were arrested as they were trying to sell drugs in the emirate. All four confessed to the crime.

Dad, Ibrahim and Shirag received 10 years in jail each. They were also fined Dh 50,000 each.

Dad received another four years for consuming drugs, and 35 lashes for drinking alcohol. He was fined a further Dh 1,000 for returning to the UAE after he was deported for a previous crime.

Ibrahim and Abdullah were also sentenced to four years in jail each for consuming drugs.

Gulf News, Dubai, 30 April 2002

Death penalty for rapist commuted

The death sentence passed on a man was yesterday reduced by the Sharia Appeal Court to 15 years in prison, to be lashed 99 times, and deported after serving his term.

A senior court official said the verdict against the Indian, S.J.M., was final for he had been shown mercy.

He had committed a heinous crime when he raped a 12-year-old national boy. S.J.M. was sentenced to death on April 14. The official said the 30-year-old man asked the boy to come to his room and help him find a telephone number because he did not know Arabic.

S.J.M. raped the boy a number of times and then carried him to the entrance of the house, left him there and fled.

The boy was found by other national neighbours and they called his father who reported the case to the police. The boy was admitted to hospital.

S.J.M. was arrested and he admitted the crime. He said he was sorry and regretted his actions.

The boy's father demanded maximum punishment because the life of boy, who is undergoing psychological therapy, has been ruined.