Waiter 'accepts Dh110 bribe' to deliver meal to Dubai prisoner

Dubai - He allegedly accepted a phone recharge card.

A waiter, who worked at a catering business that provides meals to the Dubai central prison, allegedly accepted a phone recharge card worth Dh110 as bribe to deliver an extra meal to an Arab prisoner, a court has heard.

The 23-year-old Indian waiter, who is referred to as a public employee in the public prosecution arraignment sheet, faced a bribery charge as he stood trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday. The court was told that the waiter accepted a commission against an unlawful favour.

A case was registered on May 15 at the Lahbab police station.

A policeman said during the investigation that the waiter worked for a catering corporation that has a contract with the punitive and correctional establishments. "According to the contract, the caterer should deliver meals and hire workers for that job. I did not know the waiter prior to the incident but was instructed to catch him red-handed after the administration was tipped off about his conduct.

"Our information was that he would deliver extra meals to prisoners for mobile recharge cards. I learned about that from an inmate about 20 days earlier."

The policeman recounted to the investigating prosecutor how he coordinated with the informant -- the inmate -- to catch the waiter in the act of collecting the bribe.

"The inmate offered the waiter Dh100 to get one more meal and the latter accepted his offer."

The policeman then informed the major, who runs the misdemeanours and offences jail, and the prison director.

The defendant was caught around noon on May 15. A marked recharge card worth Dh110 was given to him, and he received it.

The cop also said that the defendant admitted during the interrogation that he took the card and that he "asked for forgiveness".

A ruling will be pronounced on October 16.

mary@khaleejtimes.com