THE MUM of a man who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for selling cocaine and marijuana pleaded with judges to reduce her son’s jail time at his appeal hearing.
She told the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court that she believed his confession was given under duress and that he was ‘dizzy’ because of doctor-prescribed pills he had taken.
In May, the 37-year-old Bahraini was sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined BD5,000 as part of a high-profile case involving a drugs ring targeting wealthy local teenagers. All 17 defendants were found guilty on drug charges of different severity.
Life sentences were handed out to four defendants, including to a well-known 55-year- old British restaurateur who the defendant blamed and accused of getting him hooked on cocaine.
Last November, the appellant was arrested in a sting operation where an Indian co-defendant, who had already been in custody, called him and asked to meet up to buy marijuana.
After his arrest, he led police to his 34-year-old Macedonian friend and events organiser who he reportedly traded drugs with, and a 58-year-old Dutch graphic designer who he bought cocaine from.
Yesterday, his mother addressed appeal court judges, arguing in favour of her son and asked for mercy in his case.
She claimed that he was coerced into confessing and that he was confused at the time. “During the initial investigations, my son didn’t have a lawyer and had no idea what was going on,” she told judges. “His Arabic is not the best – you know how the new generations are like, studying in private schools and all.”
The woman went on to claim that her child was in a state of delirium because he was not given his prescription medications during questioning and had even wet himself in the interrogation room.
“My son urinated in his pants and was not given his medication,” she claimed.
She recounted the night of his arrest, when her son told her he was going out with a friend, and had taken his prescription medication with him.
“My son takes the medication every 12 hours, which is a painkiller. Even though they make him dizzy, they are completely legal and were prescribed to him by a doctor.”
She also argued that her son did not benefit from a law which states that those who lead authorities to other suspects may receive a more lenient sentence.
Mistreatment
During his initial trial in April, the defendant had testified to High Criminal Court judges himself, alleging that he was ‘subjected to mistreatment’ and was ‘high on coke’ during the interrogation.
He also alleged that he had ‘peed himself’ in the interrogation room because he was ‘not allowed to go to the bathroom’ and that he was not given a bed or blanket in his detention cell.
He said that he was ‘regretful’ of his actions but denied selling drugs.
In Public Prosecution questioning that took place shortly after his arrest, the court heard that he had admitted to the offences.
The unemployed man explained to prosecutors last November how he started re-selling coke for a margin after entering the local drugs scene.
“My relationship with drugs began in 2015, during my studies in the UK. I started consuming marijuana but quit the habit when I got back to Bahrain.”
He said that he began work at a travel agency where he formed friendships with many expatriates that led him to eventually meet the now-convicted British restaurateur and food importer who got him hooked on cocaine.
“I met him (the British defendant) at a party in Sanabis where he asked me to ‘do coke’ with him, since most of the partygoers were doing it. I went to another party at his place in Saar, when he gave me coke for free on two occasions.”
The appellant added that eventually he became ‘attached’ to cocaine use and went to buy some from the Brit, who directed him to purchase it from a Dutch woman who lived in Budaiya instead.
He went on to recall how, being out of a job, he decided to buy coke from the woman and sell it on for profit.
“I bought coke for BD115 from her and sold it to Saudi friends for BD130,” he said, adding that he also re-sold hashish to Saudi friends for a small margin too.
When police caught on to his activities, he was apprehended as part of a sting operation where his Indian co-defendant called him to buy marijuana.
“I told him (Indian defendant) I’d get in touch with my friend (Macedonian defendant) because I do not have the amount he needed.
“We agreed to meet in the Seef area, and when I went to the agreed-upon place policemen arrested me and searched my car.”
Nearly 1g of cocaine, 22.5g of hashish and several ‘joints’ were found in his car, along with rolling paper, antibiotic pills, BD101.5 in cash, and a sensitive scale ‘shaped like a car key fob.’
The GDN earlier reported that four expats were handed life sentences of 25 years for their involvement in an operation targeting a specific group of young people who could afford the prices.
Two Americans, aged 37 and 56, the 55-year-old former British restaurateur and a 57-year-old man from Portugal were each found guilty of smuggling and selling cocaine, marijuana, hashish, shabu, MDMA and prescription pill charges, as well as growing marijuana, and will all have to pay fines of BD10,000.
The Dutch woman, an artist and graphic designer, mentioned in the appeal hearing was sentenced to 10 years in prison. From the 16 others, three were Bahrainis and 13 were expatriates, hailing from the US, UK, Canada, Italy, India, Portugal, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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