Indian family refuses to grant clemency to Filipino

An Indian family has turned down a request to pardon a Filipino sentenced to death for the alleged killing of their relative.

The Philippines' Ambassador in Abu Dhabi Roy Seneressaid he had offered the family one-hundred-thousand dollars to grant John Acquino clemency.

But the family which resides in Britain said John Acquino must be executed for murdering his colleague Harbajan Singh in the United Arab Emirates in 1989.

The Supreme Court will pass verdict in March.

Under Islamic law, the victim's family has the right to demand the death penalty in a murder case or grant clemency, usually in exchange for money.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service