Dubai: A clerk has been accused of risking the life of man who sells scrap, after spiking his juice with sedatives and robbing him.

The 32-year-old Pakistani clerk, M.A., was said to have called up the salesperson, his countryman, and claimed that he wanted to sell him some scrap material in June 2012.

The suspect met the salesperson, T.M., in his pick-up truck where he offered him the spiked juice. Prosecutors said the defendant sedated the salesperson before he stole his Dh2,100 cash, Dh50,000 worth of cheques and his mobile phone.

When the defendant showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday, he entered a not guilty plea.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the clerk endangered T.M.’s life by sedating him and stealing his wallet.

“I did not do that. I am just the driver. I didn’t drug the claimant… he was already asleep when I reached his pick-up. Actually he gave me a written waiver,” M.A. told presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi in courtroom seven.

The salesperson testified to prosecutors that he promotes his trade using business cards.

“A person called me in June 2012 and asked to meet me to sell me scrap material. I met him in front of a cafeteria in Umm Al Ramoul. He sat with me in the truck and then offered me a juice. He told me that we had to wait for his sponsor to arrive. After I drank the juice, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I realised that he had stolen my wallet that contained Dh2,100 in cash, two cheques worth Dh30,000 and Dh20,000, in addition to my driving licence and labour card,” claimed T.M.

A police corporal testified that the defendant was arrested later in Ajman for being involved in a similar case.

“The same modus operandi revealed that M.A. was the suspect who had drugged T.M. and robbed him in 2012. We summoned the salesperson who identified the defendant three times at the police line up. during questioning, M.A. confessed that he had got T.M.’s mobile number that was written on the latter’s pickup. He claimed that he phoned him and when he met him he drugged him using five sedation pills before robbing him. The suspect claimed that he wired the money to Pakistan,” the corporal claimed to prosecutors.

Presiding judge Al Shamsi will hear T.M.’s statement when the court reconvenes on February 8.