Ex-Leeds United Managing Director David Haigh has spoken out about his two-year ‘nightmare’ in prison after he was acquitted of cyber crimes in Dubai yesterday.
Haigh’s prison sentence started in May 2014 and he has stated that he hopes to return to the United Kingdom before the Easter weekend.
He was involved at Leeds United following Gulf Finance House’s takeover of the club in late 2012. Haigh’s sentence finished in November 2015, but he was then was then charged with a further offence of slander over comments made on Twitter while he was in jail.
The Yorkshire Post quotes Ian Monk, David Haigh’s spokesman, as saying “David is delighted that the nightmare of almost two years in jail, which began when he was tricked into flying to Dubai on the pretext of being offered a new job, is now coming to an end.
“David now hopes to be reunited with his family in the UK for Easter. He will have more to say then.”
Haigh was initially detained in jail without charge for 14 months before his assets were frozen and his conviction of taking money from his former employers, GFH, and was sentenced to two years in prison.
The Yorkshire Post also quotes Nicholas McGeehan, from the Human Rights Watch group as saying “David Haigh’s acquittal is a positive step and shows that the UAE’s courts standing up to absurd invocations of its cybercrime law, but many more will remain at risk of similar treatment unless repressive provisions of this law is repealed.
“The UK Government should ensure any allegations of mistreatment are fully investigated.”
