Former Managing Director of Leeds United, David Haigh, has recently recalled his ordeal during his time in a Dubai prison. Haigh was accused of fraud and embezzlement and was later sentenced to imprisonment for 22 months after being convicted of breach of trust charges in Dubai in 2014.
According to Dubai Police, Haigh had allegedly siphoned off $6.7 million from his former employees. In August 2015, the former Leed United MD was convicted of breach of trust by Dubai Court and sentenced to two years in prison. In March 2016, David Haigh was acquitted of 'breach of trust' and returned to the UK a few days later on Good Friday.
Speaking to Daily Mail, David Haigh revealed that he was raped on the floor by fellow inmates. Haigh added that he saw a prisoner being tortured to the death by having his throat stamped on.
"'I went from running a football club to lying on the floor of a prison cell being raped. When I heard them say 'We kill Brits here,' I just thought it was them trying to scare me." Haigh said.
"'I saw someone who was killed in front of me because he was being tortured - they dragged him to one area and I could hear them beating him and they brought him back and he fell down next to me and they stood on his throat." he added.
David Haigh was arrested in May 2014 after he flew to Dubai to meet former owners of Leeds United Football Club Gulf Financial House (GFH). Haigh claimed that he was lured to Dubai on the pretext of setting up a private equity investment. He was accused of fraud and taken to Dubai police station, where they had to pay a small amount of money owed. However, Haigh was locked up by the police on a false charge.
David Haigh reveals the conditions of Dubai Prison
Former Leeds United Managing Director David Haigh opened up on the conditions of the prison in Dubai. He said that the food didn't have any nutritional value and the toilets were in a deplorable state, often being unclean and unsanitary.
"Unsanitary doesn't do it justice, there isn't any toilet paper. The food you get has no nutritional value - they wouldn't give it to animals here. When I was there we believed it was drugged with some chemical to subdue people." David Haigh told Daily Mail.
"The toilets are just buckets outside filled with dirty water with flies around which you have to scoop out with your hands.
There is no toilet to sit on, there are holes in the floor, no cleaning fluids provided because they can be used for poison." he added.
After being released from prison, David Haigh had a battle with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to mental torture and trauma he had to go through while he was incarcerated. His experience in Dubai prison led to become an advocate of prison reform and to share his experiences in order to raise awareness about the conditions of prisoners in Dubai.
