British woman out of Dubai jail!

[NGONGE]

A British woman who spent eight weeks in a Dubai prison after codeine was found in her urine has been released.

Tracy Wilkinson, 44, from Balcombe, West Sussex, tested positive for codeine, which is banned in Dubai but was legally prescribed by her UK GP.

The painkiller was found in her system when a urine sample was taken while she was in custody in the United Arab Emirates over a passport error.

She was bailed on Saturday and will be back at the court in Dubai on 7 May.

Stephen Jakobi, from the campaign group Fair Trials Abroad, said the hearing was the first time all the relevant papers had been seen by the court.

 

Codeine is a banned substance in the United Arab Emirates, even if it is just in the bloodstream, and Ms Wilkinson had been told she could have faced up to four years in jail.

The mother-of-two was said to be "excited and grateful" at being released.

Her ex-husband, Robin Wilkinson, 50, from Handcross, West Sussex, who has been supporting her, said: "They have released her while further inquiries are made into the documents that have been placed before the court.

"They seem happy that the drugs were prescribed now."

Mr Jakobi complained about the length of time he says it took for Ms Wilkinson's doctor's report to be translated and then certified by the Arab state's foreign office.

Remain in Dubai

"It appears this is the first time the courts have got a proper look at the documents," he said.

"I honestly feel that is a shambles [after eight weeks] and these things should not be allowed to happen."

Mr Jakobi added that he would be surprised if Ms Wilkinson was not on a plane home after the next court hearing.

"One must be pretty confident that she could be sent home next week," he said.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office confirmed her release on bail and said she was required to remain in Dubai until 7 May.

"Consular staff continue to provide support and assistance to Ms Wilkinson," he added.

 

Source

[Valenteenah.]

^^ Relevance?

[-Serenity-]

^ Its another *bash Arabs* bait. :rolleyes:

[NGONGE]

I bet you’re wondering why I posted such pointless news. This woman is British and not Somali. It looks like she’s going to get released. Could it be that senile old NGOGNE is trying to show you all that famous Arab double standards again?

 

Those amongst you that enjoy our national sport of belittling Arabs are of course free to rant and rave about the hypocrisy of it all.

 

What really caught my eye about this story was not the fact that she was British or that she might get released. What really worried me about this report is the fact that one can be arrested if traces of any drugs are found in their system!

 

A copy of this news item (preferably with Somali translation) should be circulated to every Somali community (particularly marfashs). This is no laughing matter, people.

 

I’ve met many Somalis on their way back home who are partial to the odd ‘mejin’ when flying to Dubai before catching a connecting flight to whatever part of Somalia they’re going to. Can you imagine if any of them got caught and tested in Dubai? They’ll, most probably, get the full 14-year sentence for using a prohibited substance. Unlike the lady above, there will be no doctor’s notes to come to their rescue there.

 

Be a sport and spread the word, please.

[sheherazade]

^ to liven the site up? It's a sure winner but I doubt that was N's intention.

 

No painkillers for me next time I land in Dubai.

[sheherazade]

there, he beat me to it.

[underdog]

I had a co-worker who was arrested at the US border cause a Tylenol with codeine was found in his bag.

 

 

Its another *bash Arabs* bait.

Arabs don't need "bait" to get bashed. The Emirates are a Living example of Contradiction at work. Casinos, Bars and Nightclubs in walking distance of the masjid.

[Valenteenah.]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

I bet you’re wondering why I posted such pointless news. This woman is British and not Somali. It looks like she’s going to get released. Could it be that senile old NGOGNE is trying to show you all that famous Arab double standards again?

 

Those amongst you that enjoy our national sport of belittling Arabs are of course free to rant and rave about the hypocrisy of it all.

I suspected it might be something like that, but I didnt want to give you the benefit of doubt.

 

Guess I won't be setting foot in Dubai, ever. :rolleyes:

[Emotionally_unstable]

Ngonge the matter of fact is that, when Somalis are flying from Somalia to Dubai, before they land the Steward announces on the microphone from them to spit out the QAAD, eventhough theres qaad in their blood, the Dubai authorities will not arrest them because they know that the Somalis havent been chewing in UAE soil so therefore they have no grounds to arrest them on that basis sxb.

[NGONGE]

^^^^^

 

UAE: BRITISH WOMAN ARRESTED FOR TAKING PAIN KILLERS

 

 

Brighton, 26 April (AKI) - The ex-husband of a British woman facing four years in a Dubai jail for taking prescribed painkillers, says he is very worried about her health. Tracy Wilkinson, 44, a sports therapist, has spent seven weeks in prison in the United Arab Emirates after being arrested while on holiday, initially because of a mistake on her passport.

The mother-of-two from Balcombe, a West Sussex village south of London, was then asked for a urine sample, which showed traces of codeine and temazepam, prescribed by her doctor, in her body.

 

Officials informed her that in the UAE codeine was a banned substance and that although she was not actually carrying the drug they told her that it was an offence to have traces of the painkiller in her system.

 

The British Foreign Office has been working to win her release and her ex-husband, retired police officer Robin Wilkinson, 50, has told the Brighton daily, The Argus, that he believes she could be freed on Saturday.

 

"She appeared in court last Saturday but the case was adjourned for another week. There is so much red tape. First the GP [general practicioner] report had to be translated and then they wanted proof the GP was a doctor," Wilkinson told the Argus

 

"Tracy is very down and is getting tired. She's in a bad way but she'll pull through it. She's a strong lady," he said. Tracy Wilkinson has told reporters that she is "an emotional wreck."

 

"I've developed dysentery and caught head lice," she said, describing her condition in prison. "They just won't believe me. I've had reports from my doctor sent over but they say they want them translated into Arabic."

 

Wilkinson said his ex-wife had been travelling to Dubai for many years.

 

Wilkinson said he and Tracy's teenage children, Robert, 18, and Kate, 19, both from a previous marriage, were extremely worried about her health.

 

Tracy Wilkinson, who runs the Balcombe Osteopath and Sports Injury Clinic, is known as the woman with the "magic touch" and has treated top sportsmen, including members of the Brighton Bears Basketball team.

 

In Britain, there were calls from campaign group Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) for the Government to do more to secure her immediate release.

 

"Dubai is trying very hard to promote itself as a nice, safe place and so this case should be taken very seriously indeed. The UAE should realise how important it is to their tourism trade," FTA director Stephen Jacobi said.

 

Source

[STOIC]

civil trespass suits are the typical remedy to redress unlawful searches and seizure like this one-depends on the law of the land though, in this case Dubai law rules.This is a little more overboard to me since personal privacy and dignity is at stake here.As for the guys having their last "mijin" a month before catching the plan, Hair testing is the newest method of drug testing and can accurately test for drug use within the previous 90 days, unlike Urine testing, on the other hand,which generally only provides accurate results for the previous five-day period.

[Good-Credit]

i think this poor Brit lady was just an escape goat used by the UAE authorities to show their ppl that they would prosecute any offender no matter what race and what status...

 

Just like he saudi killings, they want to scare ppl off to tone down the drug trafficing business thats taking their country by storm...

 

very pathatic...