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Several hotels and companies taken for a ride

DUBAI — The Dubai Grand Hotel in Al Quasis, Sea World Tourism and at least two other companies including a car rental agency have been taken for a ride by an alleged conman who goes by the name Ebrahim Al Vijjala, and claims he is the General Manager of Al Kamzari Trading Company.

Representatives of the four companies addressed the media yesterday mainly to alert the public and firms against having any dealings with Ebrahim Al Vijjala or Al Kamzari and to request the government to look into the cheating case.

Explaining the modus operandi deployed by the alleged conman, Praveen Nanda, General Manager of the Dubai Grand Hotel, said Ebrahim Al Vijjala approached unsuspecting companies and hotels with proposals of business, and to arrange visit visas for visitors. He would then collect the visas and vanish after issuing dud cheques to them.

Nanda, speaking of the hotel's experience with Ebrahim Al Vijjala, said he approached the Sales Department with a proposal for accommodation for 16 persons who were to visit the city for a sales conference. He then requested the hotel to arrange for their visit visas too. "We obtained the visas and asked Ebrahim to bring a letter confirming that the people on visit would stay in the hotel. We received a letter from Al Kamzari, stamped and sealed, confirming that the participants would stay in the hotel. Besides, Al Kamzari also wrote saying they would be responsible for any person from the group overstaying in the hotel."

Subsequently, the hotel sent the proforma invoice for the visa charges to the company. When the participants failed to turn up at the hotel, the management got worried, and began hunting for the company, Nanda said. They were, however, shocked when they found the doors locked when they reached the company premises.

"When we checked with immigration authorities, we were told that the people had already entered the country. We sent a notice to Al Kamzari by fax. Meanwhile, we learnt that 10 persons had overstayed in the country, and Grand Hotel was supposed to pay Dh50,000 for this," he said, adding that the immigration authorities were, however, understanding and gave them time to find the people.

The companies which had been duped filed complaints with the Al Muraqabbat police station stating that the cheques issued by Al Vijjala had bounced. Al Vijjalla had issued cheques to White Dolphin Company for Dh100,000 for 20 visits visas, Bottomline Rent-a-Car for Dh2700 and Sea World Tourism for Dh310,000 towards 42 visit visas. All the cheques proved to be duds.

• UAE