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Airline ex-staff jailed for embezzling Dh465,000

DUBAI — A woman bookkeeping supervisor was sentenced to one year in jail by the Court of First Instance on Thursday for embezzling Dh465,000 while in her service with Emirates Airlines at the Dubai International Airport.

The court, presided by Judge Hamad Abdel Latif Abdel Jawad, ordered the 27-year-old Emirati woman to return the amount and also pay an equal amount in fine. The verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days.

According to the prosecution records, the defendant abused her position at Emirates Airlines at the airport and embezzled more than Dh 465,000.

She had pleaded not guilty during trial.

According to the arraignment sheet, the defendant, described as a public employee, was in charge of collecting money from the airport staff to deposit it in the accounting cashier box of Emirates Airlines.

The money she embezzled was paid by travellers for services like wrapping baggage, delivery and cancellation of visas, excess weight and Marhaba service.

She had worked for one year and seven months before she was suspended.

An Iranian security officer said during the prosecution investigation that they learnt in March 2010 about embezzlements at the Collection Section of Emirates Airlines at Terminals 1 and 3 of the airport.

“Through leads, we learnt that the defendant is involved in those embezzlements.

“We also came to know that she used to sign on a receipt for the staff and keep another receipt, which she would later tear it off instead of keeping it in the daily revenue record at her workplace.

“She would keep the money, subject of the receipt, for herself,” the officer said.

“She embezzled a total of Dh465,848.”

The criminal evidence report includes her acknowledgement of embezzling the money as she was facing hard economic conditions at the time.

She admitted during interrogation by the police and the Public Prosecution that she used to collect the money from airport employees. Then, she would get rid of the receipt and keep the whole amount or part of it to herself.

She said that she embezzled the money at different times. She admitted in writing separate papers that she had embezzled Dh183,000 and Dh461,723.

On March 17, 2010, she was called to the main office of Emirates Airlines and was told that her embezzlement was discovered. She returned Dh21,000 and kept on delaying the payment of the remaining amount.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE