The food inspector in the United Arab Emirates took bribes from meat distributors.
A food inspector in the municipality of the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE, was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 500 thousand dirhams ($ US 136 thousand) by the Sharjah Criminal Court. The court found that the defendant received 504 thousand dirhams ($ US 137 thousand) as a bribe from two distributors.
Under the terms of the deal, he was supposed to close his eyes to the sale of veal infected with salmonella. During police interrogation, the accused admitted that he forged the signatures of officials, put the official stamp on the documents and helped the two accused to get meat products from India. He admitted that for two years he received money from people who worked in a distribution company.
The court also fined two people who provided bribes for 500 thousand dirhams, and another defendant was sentenced in absentia to five years. Both will be deported.
The Sharjah Criminal Court accused a public servant of causing a threat to public health.
During the trial, the food inspector denied all charges. His 56-year-old father, who attended a hearing in a wheelchair, said his son was never offered a bribe.
The lawyers of the suspects asked the court to postpone the hearing in order to hear the testimony of the municipality and the police officers who dealt with this matter. Lawyers asked the court to also release the accused on bail. However, the presiding judge denied the request.
