Grooverider is Free

700 prisoners win Ramadan pardon

The DJ, who was sentenced to four years in prison after he was caught at Dubai International Airport with a small amount of cannabis, was hoping to be released after it was revealed his name was on a list of possible pardons to be dealt with during Ramadan.

Pardons during the holy month are granted on humanitarian reasons.

Grooverider released from prison

Radio 1 DJ Grooverider has been released from prison in Dubai after serving 10 months for possessing drugs.

The DJ, whose real name is Raymond Bingham, was in the middle of a four-year sentence.

But he has been let out early after being pardoned by the Dubai Royal Family. He has flown back to the UK to spend time with family and friends.

The DJ was originally arrested on 23 November 2007 after being caught with 2.16 grams of cannabis at the airport.

At the time Bingham said the drugs were in the pocket of a pair of trousers and he had forgotten about them. He was handed a four year sentence in February.

Grooverider co-presented a weekend drum & bass show on the station.



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Free The Grooverider!

Groove's Dubai Prison Hope

Grooverider – real name Raymond Bingham – was convicted after a small amount of the drug was found in his pocket when he flew to Dubai for a gig last November.

Speaking at Dubai Central Jail yesterday, the dance icon, 40 – wearing a white jump suit – said: “I’m doing okay. I hope to be out in a month’s time.”

He added: “The whole thing came as a total shock.”

FRee GROOVErider

Free Grooverider a.k.a. Mr. Raymond Bingham

To: Government of Dubai
Mr. Raymond Bingham, the celebrity Disk Jockey commonly known as "Grooverider" has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates by the possession of a small amount of the drug Cannabis and Dvd's of pornography. This country is well known for its high economic development, but has also been starting to be questioned not about its social and cultural values but about the procedures used in order to enforce them. This questioning has been increasing in the last years and now it reaches Europe making the European society, which has evolved the law enforcement procedures, shocked at the exaggerated strength of the penalties to victimless crimes. The crime that Raymond Bingham committed is indeed a punishable crime although it has no victim at all, the amount of cannabis which he had in his possession was not enough for more than one person, this makes the possibility of the cannabis that was being carried into UAE being for exchange completely remote. In these cases where there is no victim and the infraction is related to cultural divergences we believe that the penalty should be enforced in the country of one's origin which is the most efficient way of applying the most adequate penalty for the acused's cultural context. We hope that the UAE will continue to be successful in enforcing their laws in the future but we also hope that the penalties that were created for this enforcement will always be applied considering the existence or not of a victim and the good or bad will of the defendant considering his or her physical and psychological condition. MR. Nath, the events promoter that hired Mr Raymond Bingham stated that he had sent a fax to Mr Bingham explaining the Laws of Dubai, as we don't know if this is true or if it was received, we interpret these statements as a self-protective effort by Mr Nath in order to assure his reputation before the UAE's society. Mr Nath statements may constitute a coward action that could affect Mr. Bingham's legal situation in a harmful manner and there could be already a strong rejection of Mr. Nath's activities by the international artistic community as a consequence. The UAE is a country with immense tourism and we understand that there must be efficient law enforcement in order to keep the peaceful environment there lived, but we also understand that this mediative case can alter the Occidental perception of UAE and distort the peaceful reputation to a reputation of oppression. The UAE has its own sovereignty and the legitimacy of enforcing its laws through the manner the UAE have determined but must also have in consideration that some forbidden practices might be completely cultural and natural in other countries that are increasingly closer because of globalization and that this divergence separates our cultures and societies when having such strong penalties for these types of situations. Please, in the name of all the undersigned, proceed to a deportation of Mr. Raymond Bingham as soon as possible.

Pass The Dutchie

British DJ is given court date

DJ Grooverider will appear in the Dubai Court of First Instance on his first hearing on January 27 to face charges of possessing drugs and pornographic DVDs, 7DAYS learned yesterday.

“He will face a possession charge and although blood tests show he took drugs he took them outside the UAE and so this is not under our jurisdiction,” a source at Dubai Public Prosecution said. The 40-year-old drum and bass guru, whose real name is Raymond Bingham, was arrested at Dubai Airport on November 23, after flying in to play a gig at the city’s Lodge nightclub.
Sources said customs officials found pornographic DVDs and cannabis on him after he was searched. Grooverider, who is currently being held at Dubai Airport jail, is the host of the weekly drum and bass radio show ‘Fabio and Grooverider’ on BBC Radio 1.

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Where's Jack The Ripper

Radio DJ’s ordeal: ‘I want it to end’

BBC Radio One DJ Raymond Bingham aka Grooverider, who was arrested at the Dubai airport on November 23 for carrying cannabis and pornographic material said he was coping well in jail here.

"I’m alright, it could have definitely been worse. I spend my time reading and catching up on things in here," he said.

"I have no clue what’s happening on the outside, but I hope for all this to end soon," he added.

Bingham, 40, who is known as the ‘Godfather of Drum and Bass’ (electronic dance music), expressed dismay at British Consulate officials in Dubai.

"The British Consulate officials are a joke. They just threw me leaflets and that was that," said Bingham. "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, political and media affairs, it is offering consular assistance.

The consulate’s website offers clear warning about what it can – and can’t – do to help British citizens.

Bingham, 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."

Bingham could be facing four years in jail in Dubai. The court date has not been disclosed yet.

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