Grooverider Arrest Update

jonny68

Grooverider Arrest Update
04 January 2008
Grooverider The news that the great Grooverider had been arrested in Dubai at the end of Novemeber last year shocked not only the Drum & Bass scene but the whole UK music industry. Grooverider, who presents Radio One's flagship Drum & Bass show alongside longtime partner Fabio, has been in custody in the UAE since November 23rd after being arrested on his way to a sell out gig in Dubai allegedly in possesion of Pornographic DVD's and a small amount of cannabis found in his record bag. Pornography is strictly controlled in the Gulf State, which regularly censors even slightly racy images in imported magazines and newspapers plus the Anti-drug laws are also strict, with the penalty for the possession of cannabis landing offenders a minimum four-year prison sentence and deportation.

Groove's arrest became the latest in a series of drug busts involving Western talent booked to perform in the Gulf State with US RnB star Dallas Austin sentenced to four years in prison in 2006 after being caught with cocaine and ecstacy into the country. Austin was later pardoned by the ruler of Dubai after intense lobbying from both US senators with business ties in the region and Lionel Ritchie, a cult favourite in the Arab world.

With little or no news of Grooverider's situation available in the UK in the weeks following his arrest, details have been vague. Big support has been shown across the scene with leading figures such as Bryan G, Skibbadee and Clayton Renegade Hardware all discussing the serious situation on their radio shows plus support groups being set up on sites such as Facebook calling for the Rider to be freed.

Yesterday Grooverider, AKA Raymond Bingham 40, was interviewed in his Dubai prison and said; "I’m alright, it could have definitely been worse. I spend my time reading and catching up on things in here. I have no clue what’s happening on the outside, but I hope for all this to end soon,". "The British Consulate officials are a joke. They just threw me leaflets and that was that," he added. "This is ridiculous. I must have forgotten the spliff. It was a small amount. Back home I would not even get prosecuted."

The British Consulate declined to comment on the case but according to Simon Goldsmith, second secretary of political and media affairs, it is offering consular assistance.

Grooverider, who was to perform at the Lodge on November 23, was on his second visit to the city. "I just want this to end and leave, I never want to come back." However no court date has been disclosed yet so the wait must go on.


http://www.breakbeat.co.uk/News/Default.aspx?NewsId=1607

jonny68

Maybe i should've gone to visit the Rider in jail when i was in Dubai at Xmas nah seriously though WTF was he thinking bringing weed and porn into Dubai knowing full well the type of country the UAE is, Dubai might be very westernized but it's still part of the UAE which is an Islamic country and these type of things are deemed as very serious, as much as i think he is a bit of an arrogant prick but i do how he gets off here with a fine or something.

Executive Steve

he's a muppet - the promoter is sueing him for 25 grand now too


in fairness, there's people in gaol over there for having been caught with THC in their bloodstreams!

:eek:


as for the porn, well he use serato so i'd imagine he basically just forgot to delete the porn off his laptop

jonny68

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

he's a muppet - the promoter is sueing him for 25 grand now too


in fairness, there's people in gaol over there for having been caught with THC in their bloodstreams!

:eek:


as for the porn, well he use serato so i'd imagine he basically just forgot to delete the porn off his laptop

It was porn DVD's he was caught with as far as i know, sure ive one or two bits of porn on my ,laptop and i was in Dubai recently, the chances of them checking your laptop is very remote anyway.