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‘Deal’ to free arson three
Published: 13th January 2009
DEFENCE lawyers representing 13 men accused of arson yesterday claimed police had cut a deal to release three of their clients.
However, they said the men were still in police custody and there was no indication of when they would be released.
The lawyers are now demanding to know what was in documents allegedly signed by three of their clients – and which 10 of them allegedly refused to sign.
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‘Deal’ to free arson three
Published: 13th January 2009
DEFENCE lawyers representing 13 men accused of arson yesterday claimed police had cut a deal to release three of their clients.
However, they said the men were still in police custody and there was no indication of when they would be released.
The lawyers are now demanding to know what was in documents allegedly signed by three of their clients – and which 10 of them allegedly refused to sign.
“We have heard reports that an Interior Ministry official agreed to release some of the men if they signed documents,” lawyer Mohammed Al Tajer told the High Criminal Court.
“We know three of our clients signed the document, while the other 10 refused.
“We ask the court to summon him (the ministry official) so that we can clear the air about this secret agreement.”
Their clients are standing trial for allegedly torching a farm belonging to Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa, in Karzakan.
Two of them were also among 19 Bahrainis who appeared before the High Criminal Court yesterday accused of murdering a Pakistani policeman.
But the defence team claims their clients were among 225 prisoners pardoned by His Majesty King Hamad.
“This is difficult from the defence’s side because it has been published all over the papers that the men are part of a royal pardon and that Shaikh Abdul Aziz has dropped the charges against them,” said Mr Al Tajer.
“We have no choice but to cross examine him because we need to be certain that they are part of this pardon.”
The court agreed to seek clarification on whether the men had been pardoned and also agreed to a defence request for doctors to examine their clients.
It also agreed to transfer them from the Criminal Investigate Directorate (CID) cells in Adliya to another facility and adjourned the case to February 19.
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