Expatriate flees after embezzling Dh1.3m in UAE

A British man has been charged in absentia in the Court of First Instance after he allegedly embezzled Dh1.3 million using a forged business license copy. 
Court documents show the runaway fled the country right after he received the money.
He was a manager at a business service and facilities firm and had a deal with a compatriot to take care of the issuance of a business license of a company in Abu Dhabi but could dupe him to send him over Dh1.3 m in several installments. He forged a business license copy which he falsely claimed was issued from the Department of Economic Development in AD. 
The case unfolded between December 10, 2014 and January 28, 2016, and a complaint was registered at Jebel Ali police station.
Prosecutors accused him of forgery and use of forged official document, embezzlement and breach of trust.
"In December of 2013, I had an agreement with the defendant that he would end the business license cancellation procedure pertaining to a human resources consultancy company in Dubai and start a new firm in Abu Dhabi under the same name in addition to cancelling my residence visa.
For that purpose, I wired several amounts of money to him," the 47-year-old plaintiff, on a visit visa, said.
In his deposition at the public prosecution, he said on December 10, 2014, he transferred Dh 31,630. On May 8, 2015, he sent Dh146,000. On June 1, 2015, he transferred Dh1.2 m.
"However, and after all those payments, the defendant did not respect the agreement and did not finish the business license issuance procedure for the human resources consultancy firm in AD.
"He sent by e-mail a copy of a license issued from Abu Dhabi valid from January 24, 2016 to January 23, 2017. We checked the authenticity of that licence copy at the DED in the capital and found it was fake," the complainant told the prosecutor.
An Indian legal consultant, 30, gave a similar testimony to the prosecution investigators.
During initial interrogation at the prosecution, the defendant admitted he received Dh178,000 from the complainant to cancel the papers of his Dubai-based company, cancel his visa (the complainant's) and establish a new firm in Abu Dhabi.
He also confessed he had sent an e-mail informing the complainant about the procedure his business services company had carried out to get the business license issued from the capital but claimed it did not contain a counterfeit business license copy.
A bank letter confirmed Dh1.2 m had been transferred.
A letter from the DED in Abu Dhabi said the copy, subject of the case, was counterfeit.
The forged license copy has been deposited at the public prosecution headquarters
The court is set to issue a ruling on January 29.
mary@khaleejtimes.com