GCC citizen sentenced to prison for possession of unlicensed firearm
A Doha criminal court has sentenced a citizen of a GCC country, in absentia, to a year in jail for possessing an unlicensed firearm.
The court has also directed him to pay a fine of QR10,000, local Arabic daily Al Arab has reported.
The defendant was convicted for keeping a pistol and 21 bullets in his vehicle.
The matter came to light when two men were found standing by a vehicle in a deserted area by a police patrol. An officer sought the defendant's consent to search the vehicle, which the latter agreed to and also signed an affidavit mentioning his approval, according to the daily.
The weapon and the bullets were found in the glove compartment of the vehicle. The defendant admitted possessing them and said he had taken them to a wedding and was returning home.
The defendant, who did not attend any of the hearings, was eventually convicted in the case. [Gulf Times]
It's still a weird sentence. The matter came to light when the police decided to check a vehicle they found in a deserted area with two men standing by.
" The matter came to light when two men were found standing by a vehicle in a deserted area by a police patrol." ( WRONG )
The matter came to light when the police found two men standing by a vehicle in a deserted area, and decided to check the vehicle. ( CORRECT)
Poor English "standing by a vehicle in a deserted area by a police patrol"