accused

accuse (one) of (something)

To blame one for a crime or wrongdoing. I can't believe he would accuse me of stealing money out of his wallet. Don't accuse him of lying without any evidence.
See also: accuse, of

never ask pardon before you are accused

Apologizing for something before someone has laid blame on you for it only ensures that you are thought of as the guilty party. A: "I accidentally scratched his car pulling out of the parking lot last night. Should I offer to pay for it?" B: "Never ask pardon before you're accused. He might not even notice."
See also: accused, ask, before, never, pardon
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Never ask pardon before you are accused.

Prov. Do not apologize for something if nobody knows that you did it, because by apologizing, you are admitting that you did it. Alan: Should I apologize to Jane for losing the necktie she gave me? Jane: Wait and see if she asks you what happened to the necktie. Never ask pardon before you are accused.
See also: accused, ask, before, never, pardon
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • accuse
  • accuse (one) of (something)
  • accuse of
  • point a/the finger
  • point the finger
  • point the finger at
  • point the finger at (one)
  • point the finger at someone
  • charge (one) with (something)
  • charge with
References in periodicals archive
Labelling the prosecution's move an abuse of court processes, Mr Ngakaagae, who represents 10 of the 17 accused persons, said committing the case to the High Court without the charge sheet having been read to the accused would be prejudicial to them and it would deny them an opportunity to fight any possible violation of their rights.
The court has declared four accused including Hasnain, Bilal, Ghulam Mustafa alias Kali Charan, and Faizan absconders.
The law officer told the court the finger prints and head hair of the accused were recovered from murder scene.
The court indicted the accused after CTD investigating officer (IO) Inspector Shahid Kareem filed final investigation report charge-sheeting the detained accused.
Judge Ubauro Ahmad Nawaz Domki has awarded capital punishment to accused Shabir Chachar in murder case of the brother of accused.
At the outset of hearing, the FIA officials said that the Agency had recovered a 4 GB device from the accused and submitted it for forensic report.
Complainant Ali Raza stated that he had just brought his mother, Tasleem Bibi, home from a hospital when the accused along with his father and brother barged in their home armed with pistols.
The prosecution had told the court that the accused escaped from lawful custody when investigations revealed that he was part of the gang that kidnapped the three Takoradi girls.
The accused confessed to have killed Head constable Zahid Hussain and constable Maqsood Masih in an attack in the locality while also killed other persons in Sachal locality.
The Magistrate, Mrs B.O Osunsanmi, grated the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Ana Police Precinct commander, identified the neutralized accused as Jeff Ross Villaroya Guday, alias Hapon, 35, single, jobless, and transient resident of Purok 5, Brgy.
FIA officials said that the accused was involved in sending the local people to Saudi Arabia under the Sasta Umera Packages being offered by him, after getting money from them.
The Panel of the Section II for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Appeals Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent out on 11 April 2018 the Judgment dated 8 February 2018, refusing as unfounded the appeals filed by the Defense Counsel for the Accused Goran JovanoviA and Alen JahiA, and upholding the Trial Judgment of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina dated 16 June 2017.
PESHAWAR -- The NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday arrested accused Tariq Mehmood, Director Mega Shine Pvt Limited Haripur (resident of Rawalpindi) who was allegedly involved in cheating public at large in garb of different fake business.
After eight years, not one of the 197 accused for the death of 58 people, 32 of which are journalists in the so-called Maguindanao massacre, which took place on Nov.