According to local media, Kottak is sentenced to one month in jail and ordered to pay a fine after he got drunk and flashed his middle finger at an airport.
- Apr 30, 2014
AceShowbiz - James Kottak of German rock band Scorpions has been sentenced to one month in jail in Dubai for allegedly making offensive behavior. According to local news outlet The National, the incident took place in an airport on April 3 when he and his entourage were en route to Bahrain to attend a Formula One Grand Prix concert. He reportedly got angry after taking a wrong turn with a friend and entered a terminal.
The drummer, who apparently was drunk following a flight from Moscow, allegedly swore at Pakistani and Afghan passengers and talked about "non-educated Muslims." He was also said to have made middle finger gesture and exposed his behind. "When he saw the Pakistani and Afghan passengers, he covered his nose and said that there was no way he will travel with them," a customer service staffer at the airport was quoted as saying.
Kottak admitted that he drank five glasses of wine during the flight, but he denied other charges. "There is no way that I would say such a phrase about Muslims, whether I was drunk or not. I confess to drinking alcohol but I refuse the other two charges, I did not do them," he told the police.
Police alleged that Kottak lowered his pants and asked people to touch his behind. "I don't remember saying these words and I did not flash my middle finger," the 51-year-old drummer told prosecutors. When asked about lowering his pants, Kottak said, "This is not true - I just lifted my shirt up to show the tattoo on my back" as a "spontaneous act."
In addition to the 1-month jail term, Kottak was ordered to pay a Dh2,000 or $544 fine for drinking without a license. He has been under custody since the incident and is expected to be released soon.
