RIYADH: The Saudi Justice Ministry denied the arrest of a Saudi judge in Dubai as reported by a UAE newspaper three days ago, the Saudi Press Agency said yesterday.
"After investigations about the name of the arrested person received following contacts made with the concerned authorities, the Saudi Ministry of Justice affirms that the man referred to in the report is neither a judge nor an employee working under the ministry."
The ministry urged the media to ascertain the facts before publishing any news story and comments. It also cautioned them against the unpleasant consequences of a hurried judgment and aspersions upon individuals.
In a statement on Tuesday the ministry had said that it was investigating the alleged arrest and had been contacting concerned departments to learn the facts.
There appears to be confusion about the identity of the arrested man. While Ameera Aqarib, the Khaleej Times journalist who first broke the story, had said that Saudi judge Hamad Salim bin Naif and his wife were arrested, a source from Dubai police confirmed that a Saudi national named Fahd bin Humoud bin Naif Al-Haqabani and his wife were arrested for possessing and consuming drugs.
Al-Riyadh newspaper yesterday reported from Dubai that the arrested judge "has been teaching at a Saudi university and used to lead prayers at a mosque in Jeddah while he served as a judge."
Quoting a private source the newspaper said, "Dubai police neither confirmed nor denied the arrest of a Saudi judge as the matter was under investigation."
While the judge is detained at the police lockup, his Moroccan wife is in the women's ward, the newspaper reported.
"A lawyer of the Saudi consulate who is following the case will take up the defense when the arrested man would be passed to the public prosecution," the report said.
The judge and his two wives -- the first one a Saudi and the second a Moroccan -- had traveled to Dubai from Cairo. According to another source the judge developed drug addiction lately, and before his marriage with the Moroccan woman he was known for his good character and charitable acts. He also had wide social contacts, the newspaper said.
The medical report after their arrest showed that both the man and the woman had used the same drug that was found in an ashtray in their hotel room.
When the newspaper contacted officials in Dubai regarding a website report that Dubai police denied the report of the arrest, they said they neither confirm nor deny the report as the matter was within the jurisdiction of the investigations department.
A drug trafficking charge carries a jail term up to four years while its use carries up to three years besides AED10,000 fine, according to UAE laws. But one arrested at a location of drug trafficking will be punished between six months and a year.
