Air transit passenger held after fighting with airport police

Business Wednesday 21/August/2019 22:55 PM
By: Times News Service
Air transit passenger held after fighting with airport police

Muscat: A British man who claimed he was arrested at Muscat International Airport for swearing has been charged with being drunk inside the airport and fighting with police officers.

British national Les Bragg, 41, was taken into custody at Al Athaiba Police Station after the incident last month, and his case has been referred to Oman's Public Prosecution.

A Royal Oman Police official said: "The man was drunk and fighting with police officers last month. He was put into custody at Al Athaiba Police Station and then his case was referred to the Public Prosecution."

According to international media reports, the man had a connecting flight to London Heathrow, which was reportedly delayed. His family claimed he had been detained for swearing inside the airport.

Bragg, who is from Portsmouth, is employed as a diving instructor in the Philippines. He was flying home from the Philippines via Oman when the incident occurred.

In the wake of Bragg’s arrest, his friends back home in the UK set up a GoFundMe page to help him with any legal costs he might possibly incur. The page was set up by a friend, Laura Weston.

“We're focusing on getting our lovely friend Les home - all his family and friends are worried sick about him and he needs to get back to the UK to be with his poorly mum and gran,” she wrote on the fundraising page.