I was attending to daily matters of UAE when my cellphone lit with the number of a batchmate and bunk mate at Sandhurst, Abraham Mohamed Dileita He was son of the Former Prime Minister of Djibouti, Mohamed Dileita. I wasted no time in answering the call and even without waiting for a greeting, greeted Abraham. To my surprise it was his wife on other end. “Your Excellency I’m Begum Zuma , Abraham’s wife and I’m calling you in distress, Abraham said if someone can help him it’s you, he is behind bars. ”
She said in a single breath and I was quick to reply, “ Hie Zuma, please tell me in detail what happened to Abraham and where exactly he is, I promise you I will get him out one way or another.”
My tone was unwavering and crisp, I meant every word I said, this was not a politician’s promise this was word of a Prince of Abu Dhabi.
“Abraham was visiting United States, Los Angeles on a trip to meet his sister who is there with her family, but then someone attacked her on September 20th, and assaulted her physically. Abraham true to his spirit intervened, found that guy and in a fight that lasted, killed the person accidentally. He was charged with first degree murder and is in Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Los Angeles. I don’t what to do, I have already sought help from Djibouti Embassy there and provided for a lawyer but Abraham has refused plea deal and is ready for trial. I found your number in his cellphone and remembered that you were a his roomate can you please help Abraham, I’m begging you ?”
I listened carefully to every word she said and then replied. “ I will call the Attorney General of US and also the Secretary of State and will find out more details and how exactly can I help him. From what I gather he killed a person who attacked his sister but since it was not at the same time, it becomes premeditated murder. Be in touch and inform me of any developments.”
I picked up the fixed line and dialled up the The UAE Ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba and asked him to get moving and talk with both State Secretary and Attorney General and what are our options. The Ambassador was my friend and knew me well, he promised me to do all he could.
Waiting by my phone anxious about Abraham I received a call from the Ambassador. “ Your Highness, the person Abraham killed was a crook but also informant of Drug Enforcement Agency in Gulf Cartel , so the government is not in much mood to negotiate, but after three rounds of talk they agreed to plea bargain of ten years with a chance of payroll after 5. I think five years is good enough deal. For what the mess it has created, DEA has obstructed the diplomatic efforts and reminded us that Abraham is a Djibouti, citizen and not UAE citizen.”
I thanked the Ambassador for his efforts and asked him to keep me posted. Within minutes I dialled Zuma back and informed her of the deal but what she said next did make me nervous, she said if the person belonged to Cartel, they might kill Abraham in jail so it was not in best interest that he be left in US Prison and again asked me to do something. “ Where are you currently ?” I enquired from her and found out she was in Djibouti, “Could you fly to Abu Dhabi, I will send my plane to you and I can talk a way to get him released. Travel with your whole family.” She agreed to be here with parents-in law. I asked The UAE Presidential Flight to send an Airbus A 320 to her and UAE Embassy in Djibouti to process her paperwork. It was done within hours and the flight reached there in nine hours. She was brought to Abu Dhabi and directly to Al Bateen Palace. I shook her hands and and asked about her well being. She was naturally nervous. I informed her that I was exploring all possible routes to ensure Abraham’s freedom, but the biggest impediment being he was not UAE citizen. After she had lunch along with her parents-in-law, in which I joined her, I kept on thinking about how to secure the release of Abraham,I had a plan.
“Zuma, I think I know how to get him out, Djibouti allows dual citizenship and What i ask you is fill in forms to accept UAE Citizenship, for yourself, your husband and your parents-in-law. I will make sure it is from back date and once you sign those forms, Abraham will be an UAE Citizen and I can intervene officially. This way you keep your Djibouti passports and get a new one from UAE. The Only challenge being was getting Abraham’s fingerprint in digital index, which I will arrange”
Zuma stood up thanked me, so did her parents, the Former Prime Minister now out of power. She immediately agreed to signing all firms. I called upon my father, His Majesty President and asked him to issue citizenship to Abraham and his family through Presidential Order. For him it was a minuscule task and he instructed to issue the Royal Decree first to imbibe them as subjects of Abu Dhabi and then followed Emirati Citizenship.
I walked up to Zuma’s chambers in the Palace and informed her that she, her parents and Abraham were given citizenship with effect from 2016. Though their passports will be issued from 2017. I told her my next plan. When Abraham’s lawyer will visit him next he will carry a finger print scanner a special document. After Abraham will give his finger print and sign the document, it will declare that he was Advisor to Ministry of Defence, UAE and hence will hold a full diplomatic immunity.
She was pleased with the idea. Next day after securing the necessary details from Abraham, The Embassy of UAE in Washington filled for diplomatic Immunity in State Department, while I talked with Secretary of State over phone, who convinced me that he will get the President to sign the executive order. It took two days and Abraham was finally released on pretext of The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. All The US DEA could do was to force State Department declare him persona non grata as a face saving. They did try to hold but in end they did.
Abraham was in Abu Dhabi by the weekend. United with his family. He thanked me and I reminded him how he saved my ass at Sandhurst after I messed up a task. This was a true Eid gift for him and me. Abraham said that I was his friend in need and reaffirmed that he was mine.
For me my friends are more important than any criminal. I don’t care about criminals life. Just that of my friends.
