Corpun file 19515

Arab News, Riyadh/Jeddah/Dhahran, 18 July 2007

2 Sentenced for Riyadh Taxi Robbery

By Raid Qusti
Arab News

RIYADH, 18 July 2007 — The Cassation Court in Riyadh has sentenced a Saudi to four years' imprisonment and 1,000 lashes and another to two years' imprisonment and 400 lashes for robbing a taxi driver under threat, the Riyadh police announced yesterday.

The police said it received a call from a foreigner in the capital stating that two locals in Tariq ibn Ziad Street in Al-Salheya district had robbed him. The man told police that while driving his taxi a local signaled to him that he wanted a ride. When the taxi driver pulled aside to stop, the man got into the front seat of the car. Another man immediately opened the back door and got in. He pulled out a knife and held across the taxi-driver's throat, threatening to kill him if he did not give him his wallet. The taxi driver said the second man in the front seat then searched him and forcefully took SR250, all the money he had. The man said that the two then jumped into a car and sped away.

"After the police received the call, one of the police patrol cars in the unit spotted the reported car. Two suspects were in it," said a statement from the Riyadh police department.

The police said the patrol car then gave chase to the reported vehicle. The vehicle hit another car during the pursuit in a foiled attempt to flee.

"The two suspects were arrested as they tried to escape on foot after they got out of the vehicle," the statement added.

The police said they had been charged for robbing and resisting arrest. The charges were then confirmed. Their cases were transferred to a Cassation Court where they were tried and sentenced.

In another case, the Cassation Court in Riyadh sentenced two locals to four years' imprisonment and 500 lashes each for stealing a car and using in another crime.

The police said that it received a call from a local citizen informing them that his car was stolen. It then received another call from a foreign national stating that two suspects in a car had stopped him on the road, forced him out and beat him, and then stole SR800 that he had in his procession.

The suspects then got into the foreigner's car and sped off leaving behind the first vehicle they had stolen. The police said the two suspects were later arrested and they were charged for their crimes.

The Cassation Court in Riyadh then sentenced them according to Shariah law.

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