An airport policeman who posted a photo of Lionel Messi’s passport on Snapchat landed in court on Tuesday for abusing the telecommunication system and breaching the superstar’s privacy.
Barcelona legend Messi had just arrived at the Dubai International Airport on December 27 to collect the Global Soccer Award’s best player award of 2015, when the 26-year-old Emirati policeman, J.J., took a photo of the superstar’s passport and posted on the social media network.
Prosecutors accused J.J. of breaching the famous footballer’s privacy.
Prosecutors charged the suspect of abusing the telecommunication system and using his iPhone6 to post the photo and uploading it on social media.
When the suspect appeared before the Dubai Misdemeanours Court, he pleaded guilty and admitted that he committed a wrongdoing by posting Messi’s passport details on social media. He then asked for leniency.
During questioning, the suspect said he went to the airport’s second terminal to submit his sick leave when his colleague informed him that Messi was about to arrive at the VIP section on a private jet.
J.J. was said to have wanted to take a picture with the legendary footballer before Messi’s escorts informed him that the player was tired and would not take a photo with him.
In his statement to the police, J.J. claimed that when he walked back to the office, he saw Messi’s passport on a desk and used his iPhone to take a photo it.
After the policeman posted the photo on Snapchat, according to records, J.J. wrote a comment that read ‘This is Messi here in Dubai … what shall I do now? Burn his passport or let it go! Alas … I will let go’.
A ruling will be heard next week.
