MUMBAI: James Kottak of German hard rock band Scorpions has reportedly been jailed in Dubai for offensive behavior. Kottak who is the band’s drummer is alleged to have been inebriated, insulted Islam and raised his middle finger, all of which has lent him a one month sentence in Dubai.
According to newspapers in the UAE, the incident is said to have taken place while Kottak was in transit at the Dubai airport. UAE newspaper- The Gulf News Daily reported that the American drummer was travelling from Russia to Bahrain, where the band was supposed to perform on 5 April. Kottak did not show up for the performance, following his arrest on 3 April.
Reports state that he caused a disturbance at the airport and was heard swearing and using the term “non-educated Muslims”. Police reports also state that Kottak exposed his backside and was being obscene, a claim which he refutes. He, however, did maintain that he lifted up his shirt to show-off his tattoo.
The 51 year old has denied the claims, telling prosecutors, “I don’t remember saying these words and I did not flash my middle finger. 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.”
There has been no response from the band’s manager as yet. Kottak became a member of Scorpions in 1996. The band is famous for its rock ballads like ‘Winds of Change’, ‘You and I’ and ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’.