Emirati JM, a policeman is presently on trial for breaching the privacy of Lionel Messi during the soccer star’s visit to Dubai weeks ago. The officer filmed and posted a video of himself on social media with the 28 year-old’s passport. The Argentine was in Dubai to receive the Player of the Year award at the Globe Soccer Awards. When Messi arrived and he wanted to take a photo with him , he was turned down by his bodyguards as the latter was exhausted from the flight. He then went to the passport control desk and saw the Barcelona player’s passport there, he picked it up and shot a video of himself while holding it. 

He posted it on Snapchat with the caption:

“This is Messi’s, he is here in Dubai, what do I do? Shall I burn the passport or just put it back! Ok Ok you can go!”

Albeit, the video has since been deleted from snapchat. Looks like he’s about to get more than he bargained for. JM who maintained that it was all a joke told  prosecutors he sought the permission of Messi’s bodyguard, who was standing next to the passport control desk. He saw him as he spotted the player’s passport.

“He was standing there so I spoke to him in English and asked him if I could take a picture of myself with the player’s passport and he said yes. I didn’t take his permission — he was there but didn’t see what happened. I have no idea how it got circulated. I was just kidding and had never done this thing with anyone else before. I was wrong and I promise I would never repeat such a behaviour,” said JM.

An Emirati policemean who saw him said he was patrolling the private jet area when he sighted the accused. “It was 4am when I saw him still present and my colleague asked him to go home, then my colleague and I left to resume our checks ahead of the plane landing. I don’t know why he did that, he knows it’s not allowed. We all would love to have a picture with Messi but it’s not allowed,” he said.

JM who confessed to the charge will know fate this month.