A Royal Marine hero has been acquitted after spending seven months in custody in Dubai after authorities admitted they had ‘insufficient evidence’ against him.
Matthew Croucher, 40, who received one of Britain’s highest awards for bravery, the George Cross, for his service in Afghanistan, was arrested in November after being accused of espionage.
He was subsequently banned from leaving the UAE pending an investigation.
Authorities revealed Friday that Croucher “was arrested after gaining access to a public facility using illegal technology” in a case his family called “fabricated and ridiculous.”
‘The case was referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution Service and after thorough investigation the evidence was found to be inadequate. The case was dismissed and Croucher is now free to leave the UAE,” the Dubai media agency said.
Matthew Croucher, 40, was arrested in November after being accused of espionage but was today acquitted after being held in Dubai for seven months
Croucher was awarded the George Cross for his service in Afghanistan after jumping on a Taliban grenade to save his colleagues
“The decision underlines the Dubai Public Prosecution’s commitment to upholding the rule of law,” the statement continued.
The former Lance Corporal, who once jumped on a Taliban grenade to save his colleagues, was arrested on November 4 after officials in Dubai accused him of “intentionally and illegally accessing a telecommunications network.”
They did not reveal who they say he spied on, nor who he allegedly worked for, the Times reported.
Officials reportedly obtained an electronic device, which Croucher claimed was used in his daily work for security penetration testing, after obtaining a warrant to search where he lived.
While in prison, he was forced to sleep on the floor because it was so overcrowded. According to a close friend, he was also forced to eat a “primitive meal of rice and chicken with very unsanitary facilities” twice a day.
The friend claimed he was interrogated for six hours by Dubai Police Detectives, during which he was questioned about his role within the UK Ministry of Defense and intelligence services.
Before he was acquitted on Friday, his family from Solihull in the West Midlands said: ‘We are shocked by the circumstances that have unfolded. He would only be away for a few weeks. We don’t understand why it is taking so long to process the case.
‘We believe the case is fabricated and ridiculous. The State Department has been useless, often making matters worse and telling him that his case is formally closed.
“This has caused tremendous stress to our family and we only hope this can be concluded as quickly as possible.”
Croucher won the George Cross, Britain’s highest award for bravery on the battlefield not ‘in the face of the enemy’, for his heroics in February 2008.
During a nighttime attack on a Taliban compound, he stepped on a tripwire, triggering a grenade.
Instead of fleeing, he deliberately smothered the explosion by turning onto his back to allow his backpack to take full force, preventing all four members of his patrol from being killed by the explosion.
The George Cross is the highest medal for bravery, next to the Victoria Cross.
The VC is awarded for outstanding bravery ‘in the face of the enemy’ and is often considered more prestigious, although the GC recognizes the same level of gallantry in cases where no enemy is present.
A British Foreign Office spokesperson said before Croucher’s consent: “We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with local authorities.”
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.