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 appellate court's judgement upheld the earlier verdict of the
Dubai Court of First Instance. Tatham's local lawyer, Saeed Al
Gailani, told Khaleej Times: "We will now appeal to the apex court
here after I have procured a written copy of the latest judgement. I
expect to get that this week."

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."