Quote:h,121b,121DUBAI???A famous British DJ jailed in the United Arab Emirates for possessing a small amount of cannabis was among a group of prisoners released last week under a special pardon during the month of Ramadan.b,121b,121Grooverider, aka Raymond Bingham, was sentenced to four years after being arrested last November at Dubai International Airport.b,121b,121The 40-year-old pioneer of drum and bass music was on his way to a sell-out concert at the popular Lodge nightclub when he was found to be in possession of 2.16g of cannabis. Tests later found traces of the drug in his urine.b,121b,121The DJ, who hosted a weekly show on BBC Radio One, admitted in his trial in February to possessing the drug but said that he had forgotten that it was in his trousers. He claimed that he had not intended to bring it into the UAE.b,121b,121Every year during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, authorities in the UAE pardon individuals convicted of minor offences. This year some 777 prisoners were set free from the country???s jails.b,121b,121They included Emiratis and expatriates, however none convicted of rape or murder were released.b,121b,121On Saturday, a spokesman for the BBC confirmed that Bingham had returned to Britain and would be meeting with BBC management ???in due course??? regarding his continuing employment.b,121b,121A page on the social networking site Facebook, which had been set up to petition for his freedom, has been filled with messages welcoming news of his release.b,121Speaking to a British newspaper from jail last month, Bingham said he was hopeful of being included in the annual Ramadan list of people to be pardoned. ???I???m doing okay, he said. ???The whole thing came as a total shock.???b,121b,121h,121
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