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Suspect in Dh10m embezzlement case acquitted by court

ABU DHABI - The Federal Criminal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi has turned down an appeal lodged by the Attorney-General to annul a verdict acquitting a suspect accused of trying to embezzle Dh10 million from a company owned by a national.

Nabawi Abu Zahra was charged by the Public Prosecution with forging a cheque drawn on a local bank by filling in the particulars after it was signed by Salem Mohammed, the national.

He was also accused of presenting the cheque to the bank in an attempt to draw an amount of Dh10 million. To his bad luck, the transaction did not go through due to insufficient balance.

The prosecution demanded that the defendant be punished under Articles 216/5, 217/2 and 222/1 of the Federal Penal Law. Instead, the court acquitted him since the cheque, as stated in the Abu Dhabi Police Criminal Evidence report, was signed by the signatory and filled in by the defendant.

The Attorney-General appealed against the ruling, demanding punishment for the defendant, who received a set of blank cheques signed by Salem for him to run the establishment. Being the establishment owner, Salem issued Abu Zahra a letter clearing him from any financial liabilities arising from the management of the establishment, a matter which also prohibits him from misusing any paper or cheque with him during the tenure of his management.

Though the letter of attorney had expired, the attorney general argued, the defendant opted to present the cheque after filling in the particulars himself.

The appeals claim argued that since the court had not taken these circumstances into consideration, it's verdict ought to be annulled.

The Criminal Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, saying the verdict of acquittal was in line with the law.

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