'Dubai Residency officer accepts Dh40,000 for illegal visas'

Dubai - Y.A. was charged with bribery, forgery and use of forged documents.

An officer of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs allegedly processed 80 illegal visas after taking a total of about Dh40,000 in bribes.
The officer - who was based in an external service centre department, Entry and Residence Permits section - faced charges of bribery in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday.
According to the public prosecution arraignment sheet, the 33-year-old Emirati officer, identified as Y.A., processed family residence visas, even though applications lacked basic documents such as labour, marriage or tenancy contracts, or where the sponsor's occupation fell under ineligible categories.
He is believed to have collected Dh500 for an adult's residence visa and Dh300 for a minor.
He was also allegedly paid Dh300 for stamping or renewing a residence visa, by making use of his access to the database of the directorate and forging and falsifying data in the electronic documents.
The officer allegedly collected about Dh40,000 from a Pakistani businessman, R.A.
Y.A. was charged with bribery, forgery and use of forged documents, while R.A. was charged with offering bribe to a public officer and aiding and abetting Y.A. in the forgery. The alleged illegal transactions were carried out from August to September last year.
R.A. was arrested after allegedly handing the officer seven incomplete applications for stamping and renewing residence visas and paying him Dh2,600.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai