A Filipino inmate was surprised by the UAE authorities when he was freed from prison in Sharjah after serving one year and three months in jail.
During a tolerance forum, Albert Santos Gayd was called onstage where he was surprised with the news that he would be released from the Sharjah Reformatory and Punitive Establishment (SRPE), reported Khaleej Times.
Gayd was also surprised by his brother who was invited by the authorities to welcome the newly released inmate.
The authorities added that his debts were paid off and that he could return to the Philippines.
Gayd was arrested in 2017 after using a bounced cheque to pay rent to a landlord in Sharjah. His case was bailable, however, no one could post bail for the Filipino.
“God put me in this situation because I was away from him. When I was in jail I read Bible hundred times and I prayed all the day. Here, the authorities allow all inmates to practice their religion and they respect everyone’s beliefs. I was provided with Bible and anything I asked them to practice my religion. The treatment I received here was very good,” KT quoted Gayd as saying.
The inmate added that he could not pay the landlord as he was in jail.
Gayd was among the 20 inmates who were released on the occasion of the Year of Tolerance.
PHOTO CREDITS: M. Sajjad/KT
