Attorney Udul Premaratne, in Dubai to represent singer Amal Perera and his son Nadeemal Perera, who are under Bur Dubai Police custody told the Daily News that extradition of suspects is not a possibility and the case is likely to drag on for many more days before they are produced before Dubai courts.
Even though he is the attorney representing the interest of both artistes, Premaratne cannot appear before Dubai courts and can only speak to the Public Prosecutor of the Bur Dubai Police who can decide if the suspects are to be bailed, deported or detained further. “The Public Prosecutor informed me that Nadeemal Perera’s blood tests confirmed he had not consumed drugs. However, I was told it is not possible to bail Nadeemal or anyone else purely on this report as they are all detained under one case file,” he said. “The case is likely to drag for many days and extradition is not a possibility.”
Premaratne said that he had told the Public Prosecutor that his clients were in Dubai merely for a performance and had no links to underworld criminal gangs and requested their cases not be linked to that of Makandure Madush.
He further said that a date had not been set for when the suspects would be produced before courts as police were still conducting their investigations. Premaratne had been granted access to only see Amal from afar. He has not been given an opportunity to speak to Amal or Nadeemal and would only be able to do so on Sundays, when police permits visitors.
Premaratne confirmed that 31 individuals who were nabbed during this party are being detained, among them are some foreigners and a few women, whose nationalities were not revealed to Premaratne.
“We don’t have the right to question and can only make a submission,” he said. “Dubai which is under 24-hour CCTV surveillance is very strict in enforcing the law and deals justly with those suspected of consuming or trafficking drugs.”
All 31 suspects were arrested on the grounds of consuming drugs which is a offense in the United Arab Emirates. The narcotic laws are very strict in the UAE and travellers passing through the UAE with only trace amounts of drugs on them have been imprisoned for up to four years.
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