UAE: Man’s life sentence for drug trafficking dropped after appeal; court acquits him for lack of evidence – News

The lawyer challenged the ruling in the appeals court, saying his client was wrongly convicted because he found nothing when police arrested him

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An Asian man who was earlier sentenced to life in prison along with two others for possessing and dealing drugs has had his sentence reversed by a federal appeals court.

The man was also cleared of the charges due to lack of evidence.

Three men were arrested by police in Abu Dhabi on suspicion of possessing and dealing narcotics and psychotropic substances, official court documents said.

Prosecutors said the anti-narcotics unit of the Abu Dhabi police received a tip from their informants that one of the Asians was in possession of and dealing drugs.

An undercover agent posed as the buyer and contacted the man. They agree to meet somewhere and sell him drugs for D550.

When the man arrived at the meeting point, police who were hiding nearby to monitor the transaction arrived and arrested the dealer who was exchanging drugs with the undercover in exchange for money.

Police searched the man’s car and home and found other drugs and psychotropic substances inside.

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Two other Asians who were seen moving with the man were also arrested but were not found to be in possession of drugs.

Prosecutors charged the three with drug possession and dealing.

Both the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal previously sentenced the first and second defendants to life imprisonment in the case and acquitted the third.

Both the Crown Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal had earlier sentenced the men to life in prison on all charges.

Lawyers for the second defendant challenged the ruling in a federal appeals court, arguing that his client was wrongly convicted and sentenced because there was no evidence he passed or dealt drugs because police arrested them without finding him in possession of anything.

After hearing the case, the judge decided to revoke the life imprisonment of the two defendants and to acquit them of their charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence.