Canadian loses appeal in drug offence case | Canada

Canadian loses appeal in drug offence case

DUBAI — The Dubai Court of Appeal in a concurring judgement sentenced Canadian national, Bert Tatham, yesterday to four years in jail followed by deportation on charges of possession and consumption of hashish. Thirty-five-year-old Tatham was an international adviser with the Poppy Elimination Programme in Kandahar in Afghanistan until recently.
The poppy eradication program in Afghanistan would not work at all without people like Canadian Bert Tatham

Customs officials at Dubai International Airport, it may be recalled, had arrested the Canadian recently on April 23. He was transiting through Dubai while on his way to Vancouver from Kabul.

Customs inspectors found 0.06 grams of hashish, a contraband drug, in Tatham’s pocket and two dried poppy flowers in a carpet in his baggage. He was then referred to the Public Prosecution on charges of possessing and consuming hashish. The subsequent forensic laboratory tests confirmed traces of drug ingestion in his urine sample.

During the court trial, Al Gailani had pointed out that his client was an anti-narcotics officer and that handling such drugs was a regular and routine part of his job. Tatham, he added, also attended and supervised the burning of tons of poppy crops almost daily.

A bit dissapointed, Charlie Tatham, father of Bert Tatham speaking to Khaleej Times from Canada yesterday said, “the family would discuss the Federal Supreme Court appeal with my son’s lawyer before taking a final decision . I would also like to visit Dubai at an appropriate time to meet my son.”

http://www.khaleejtimes.com

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