Three Indians jailed for bribery attempt in Dubai

Three Indian barbers have been jailed for one year each after being caught in a sting operation offering 1500 dirhams (USD 400) as bribe to a Dubai health inspector to get one of them a health card despite suffering from a contagious disease.
The trio, identified by initials IM, AK and MS, were said to have offered a bribe to the Dubai Municipality health inspector to ignore the hepatitis B disease AK was suffering from and issue him a health card, Gulf News reported.
Although they entered a plea saying they were not guilty, the Dubai Court of First Instance found them guilty of offering a bribe.

The court also fined the defendants 600 dirhams each and said the bribe money would be confiscated.
IM mediated for AK and MS to pay hush money to the inspector at Dubai Municipality's clinic and issue a health card saying that AK was healthy, prosecutors said.
"The barbershop supervisor (IM) said earlier health cards had been issued to individuals with contagious diseases. I promised I would reconsider...Then I told my boss. She suggested that I pretend to have agreed in order to expose the staff members who processed the health cards to unhealthy individuals," the health inspector said.

Records said the incident took place in June.

An Emirati police lieutenant testified he was given the task of talking to the municipality inspector and organising a sting operation, during which the defendants were caught offering the bribe, the report said yesterday.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 11 days.
The convicts will be deported following the completion of their jail terms.