Gang jailed on charges of killing African

DUBAI: The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced six Asians to 10 years each and another to 3 years to be followed by deportation for killing an African on the back of a dispute over a bootlegging zone.

The case dated back to last January when a resident of Al Souk Al Kabeer area in Bur Dubai filed a complaint in which he stated that a fight erupted on a side street behind his house. According to the complainant’s statement, he saw Asian people assaulting an African, who was screaming and trying to avoid their assaults.

The complainant added that he saw the African running in a corridor next to the building and falling to the ground before trying to escape but the gang kept beating him with sticks and then let the scene of the accident.

He said he saw the victim walking staggeringly until he fell on a parked vehicle with blood flowing profusely from his head, nose and mouth. So he informed the police and ambulance accordingly and the victim was transferred to the hospital, he added, noting that he learned that the victim died on the way.

A policeman stated that a team of detectives gathered inferences and were able to identify and arrest the suspects. On interrogation, they admited that they were engaged in bootlegging in Dubai. They also admited that a dispute erupted between them and some Africans including the deceased, who were also engaged in bootlegging, over who should control the bootlegging zones.

One of the convicts stated that the victim and other Africans sold alcoholic beverages in an area under the control of the convicts, so he decided with the other convicts to take revenge on the victim and his accomplices.

Another convict admited that he saw the victim trying to sell alcoholic beverages in the same area, so he and the others caught him and kept assaulting him with plastic and iron sticks that they brought with them especially for this purpose.

The convicts stated that they kept beating the victim with their hands and kicking him with their feet withtheintentofharminghimbutdidnotintendtokill him, adding that they took advantage of the victim being alone and unable to resist due to being under the influence of alcoholic beverages and narcotics.