Duo embezzles Dh17.5m from man's bank account in Dubai

Dubai - The two managers are also accused of forging an account opening form.

A 39-year-old Indian public relations manager at a bank stood trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance for embezzling, together with a 46-year-old Jordanian manager, Dh17.5 million from the account of a Jordanian customer.
The alleged financial discrepancies happened in December 2015. A case was registered at Jebel Ali police station.
The two managers are also accused of forging an account opening form. They falsified data on the form by putting the mobile number and e-mail of the Jordanian manager as the "preferred" way of contacting the customer.
The two have been charged with intentionally damaging the interests of a public entity, causing financial losses, forgery and use of forged documents and embezzlement from workplace and criminal complicity.
The 58-year-old complainant, a businessman and owner of an electro-mechanical systems company, said that the Jordanian defendant had been his personal business manager for about 14 years. "I found out he was embezzling large funds from my company since 2016. I contacted the bank and learned from them in a letter dated March 20, 2019, that he transferred Dh17.5 million from my account to his account after activating online banking services in my name without my approval. He had added his number and e-mail as "preferred way" to contact me, also without my consent."
The complainant told the prosecutor that he had not been checking his account at the bank as he had been busy and had several other accounts at other banks. "The defendant impersonated me as he knew all my personal information. I was not receiving any SMS alerts from the bank about withdrawal and transferal transactions done on my account."
He also told the investigators that his business manager conspired with the Indian defendant, who was managing his account at the bank, to forge the account opening form.
An Egyptian auditor confirmed during investigation that the complainant's personal business manager abused his post and his boss's trust to misappropriate his funds.
The trial will continue on October 1.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai