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A hero Royal Marine has been cleared after being detained for seven months in Dubai after authorities admitted to having ‘inadequate evidence’ against him.
Matthew Croucher, 40, who was awarded one of Britain’s highest bravery honours – the George Cross – for his service in Afghanistan, was arrested in November after being accused of spying.
He was then banned from leaving the UAE pending an investigation.
Authorities on Friday revealed that Croucher had been ‘arrested after accessing a public facility using illegal means of technology’ in a case his family dubbed ‘made up and ridiculous’.
‘The case was referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution, and after thorough investigation, the evidence was found to be inadequate. The case was dismissed and Croucher is now free to leave the UAE,’ said the Dubai media office.
Matthew Croucher, 40, was arrested in November after being accused of spying but was today cleared after being detained for seven months in Dubai
Croucher was awarded the George Cross for his service in Afghanistan after he jumped on a Taliban grenade to save his colleagues
‘The decision highlights the Dubai Public Prosecution’s commitment to upholding the rule of law,’ the statement continued.
The former Lance Corporal, who once jumped on a Taliban grenade to save his colleagues, was arrested on November 4 after Dubai officials accused him of ‘intentionally and illegally accessing a telecommunications network’.
They did not reveal who they claim he was spying on, nor who he was supposedly working for, the Times reported.
Officials reportedly obtained an electronic device, which Croucher claimed was used in his day-to-day job for security penetration testing, after obtaining a warrant to search where he was living.
He was forced to sleep on the floor while in prison as it was so overcrowded, according to a close friend who added he was also made to eat a ‘primitive meal of rice and chicken twice a day with very unsanitary amenities’.
The friend claimed he was interrogated by Dubai’s police Criminal Investigation Department for six hours, during which he was questioned about his role within the UK’s Ministry of Defence and intelligence services.
Before he was cleared on Friday, his family, from Solihull in the West Midlands, said: ‘We’re shocked at the circumstances which have played out. He was only due to be away for a couple of weeks. We don’t understand why it is taking so long to process the case.
‘We believe the case to be made up and ridiculous. The Foreign Office has been useless, often making things worse and telling him his case has been formally concluded.
‘This has caused our family immense stress and we just hope this can be concluded at the earliest opportunity.’
Croucher won the George Cross, Britain’s highest honour for valour on the battlefield not ‘in the face of the enemy’, for his heroics in February 2008.
During a night raid on a Taliban compound, he stepped on a tripwire triggering a grenade.
Instead of fleeing he deliberately smothered the explosion, twisting on to his back to let his rucksack take the full force and thereby prevent all four members of his patrol being killed by the blast.
The George Cross ranks alongside the Victoria Cross as the highest medal for valour.
The VC is awarded for outstanding bravery ‘in the face of the enemy’ and is often regarded as more prestigious, although the GC recognises the same level of gallantry in cases where no enemy is present.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said before Croucher’s clearance: ‘We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with the local authorities.’
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
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