Dubai: A policeman has been jailed for 15 months for abusing his authority and accepting bribes from bootleggers and not having them arrested.

The 42-year-old policeman, K.S., was said to have apprehended a 32-year-old Indian bootlegger, J.S., in Al Quoz when he realised that the latter had absconded from his sponsor and stayed in the UAE illegally.

J.S. paid K.S. Dh5,000 as a bribe and gave him six cans of alcohol for not arresting him.

The policeman was also said to have accepted Dh500 in bribes from the boss of another Indian bootlegging gang to refrain from detaining one of his workers.

The Dubai Court of First Instance jailed K.S. and J.S. for a year in jail and fined them both Dh5,000.

K.S. was handed three additional months in jail because he collected a Dh500 bribe from the bootlegging boss and he was also fined Dh1,000.

Prosecutors said K.S. accepted bribes in cash and kind against not detaining J.S., who was charged with offering the bribe to avoid legal action.

The policeman firmly refuted his accusations when he entered an innocent plea in court.

“I don’t know J.S.,” K.S. argued in court.

Meanwhile J.S. entered a guilty plea and pointed his finger at K.S. and told the court: “I paid him the bribe.”

Records said the policeman abused his authority and requested the Indian to pay him a bribe to avoid being taken into custody.

Prosecutors said J.S. bribed K.S. to protect him and arrest his bootlegging rivals in Al Quoz and to avoid being arrested for overstaying and absconding from his sponsor. J.S. was cited admitting to prosecutors that K.S. busted him the first time during 2012.

“The policeman [K.S.] stepped out of his car and came towards me. He asked for my labour card. I explained to him that I had absconded from my sponsor and did not renew the visa when it expired. We exchanged contact numbers… he asked me to pay him money in order not to arrest me. I paid him cash and gave him six cans of alcohol to cover up my crime of selling liquor. I told the police officer, who arrested me in September 2013, about my relationship with K.S.” the Indian confessed to prosecutors.

A lieutenant said an informant alerted them that K.S. had been collecting bribes from absconders and illegal residents. K.S. was detained in a sting operation.

According to the primary ruling the duo will be deported following the completion of their punishments.

However, the defendants have already appealed their primary ruling and are scheduled to appear before the Appeal Court in August.