Ex-Socceroo shoved Dubai police after taxi dispute: report

Former Australian national football team captain Craig Moore’s altercation with Dubai police that led to his arrest began over a 13 dollar taxi fare, a local daily said on Sunday.

Moore drunkenly argued with the cab driver over a 50 dirham (13.6 dollar) fare and police were called to intervene, The National newspaper cited Dubai police as saying.

“He then shoved one of the officers,” the newspaper said.

Local newspapers reported that Moore was arrested following the Wednesday night altercation, and has since been freed on bail.

Journalists waited in vain for Moore to appear in court on Sunday, after the local Gulf News daily reported the day before that a hearing would be held.

But a Dubai Public Prosecution official said that there was no Sunday hearing for Moore, and officials from that department and traffic prosecution said they did not know when a hearing would be held because there was no record of the case in their electronic system.

The Australian embassy in Abu Dhabi referred all inquiries to the country’s foreign office.

The ex-Glasgow Rangers, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Newcastle United defender retired from football in July after this year’s World Cup, following a distinguished career that included 52 caps and three goals for the Socceroos.