The cars in question had failed a first test and were due for another test because of major defects.

Two vehicle inspectors, who sought and collected Dh750 in bribes from motorists to make their cars pass the technical test for licence renewal, were each sentenced to six months in jail by a Dubai court.

The court documents showed that the two technicians, including a Pakistani and a Filipino, aged 27 and 36, would put in the e-system that the cars passed a second test, contrary to reality, and then issued the 'passed' reports. The cars in question had failed a first test and were due for another test because of major defects. The two technicians would not subject those cars to another test but instead forged e-data and issued the 'passed' reports. They would collect money for those unlawful favours.

Two other men, including a 22-year-old Indian and a 63-year-old Pakistani, were found guilty by the court of mediating the bribery between the technicians and the motorists and were also ordered jailed for six months each.

The Court of First Instance ordered the deportation of the four defendants after serving their jail time and paying Dh155,000 worth of fine.

The case dates back to October 17, 2018, and to two weeks prior to that. It was registered at Al Rashidiya police station.

A police lieutenant of the counter-administrative corruption at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Dubai Police said they were tipped-off by a reliable source about a Pakistani man who would always go to a vehicle technical inspection station. "Our information was that that man would approach motorists, whose vehicles failed the test, offering them help. He would seek amounts of money which varied depending on the nature of the defects."

According to the tip-off, the man would make those cars, which had defects, pass the test in cooperation with some employees at the station.

The CID officers then sent one of their informants with a car that had failed the test to that station so all the persons involved in the illegal doings could be caught red-handed. "Our informant made contact with the Pakistani man asking for his help. He gave him the car's details. The suspect asked for the previous report that listed the defects so to evaluate how much money he would charge. Few minutes later, he called the informant, asking for Dh250," the lieutenant told the prosecutor.

The suspect also told the informant that he needed to pay Dh70 as a test fee. "The suspect made a mistake and we later knew that the fee is Dh170," the lieutenant said.

The Indian accused was arrested by the CID on October 17, 2018, after he was sent by the Pakistani to help the informant with his car.

The informant told the police how his car passed the test even though it had several major defects. The suspect was arrested right after he collected the bribe money from the informant.

mary@khaleejtimes.com