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Trio cleared of fraud bid

Three men, including Iranian herbal medicine practitioner H.H., Mali national M.L. and Sudanese A.A., have each been cleared of an attempted fraud by claiming that they had the ability to make $18 million come down from the sky.

The Court of Misdemeanours found the three accused — aged 65, 61, and 42, respectively — not guilty of the charge on the grounds of absence of incriminating proof.

The court bench, presided by Judge Mohammed Shawki Ayyad, sentenced, however, M.L. to one month in jail, followed by deportation, for staying in the country even after his visit visa had expired.

They all denied the fraud bid charge earlier in the court.

Their alleged attempt came to light in June last year when the Dubai Police division specialised in fighting economic crimes learnt about the three men who allegedly practised witchcraft and sorcery.

Advocate Ahmed Al Dakhakhny of Al Barq Firm for Advocacy and Legal Consultancy, arguing on behalf of H.H., said the attempted fraud charge against his client was unfounded. Al Dakhakhny said the police concocted the crime story.

According to the prosecution records, the police were informed about the suspects who claimed their ability to make millions of dollars come down from the sky. The police were tipped off that the accused were looking for someone who would provide them with $10,000 which they would use in black magic to let the sky drop $18 million. The police assigned an undercover officer to make contact with the accused.

The undercover officer reached M.H.’s house in Muraqqabat with $10,000 around 8pm on July 2 last year, while the police surrounded the flat.

According to the undercover agent, one of the African defendants claimed that he had to enter a room with the $10,000. He claimed he would put it in a box into which the millions of dollars would come down from the ceiling. He claimed that the ceiling was directly connected to the sky.

At that point, the undercover officer signalled to the police unit members who raided the place.

The accused who took the police money earlier, hurled it at the cops saying he did not have anything to do with it.

The police officers said during investigation that they seized from H.H. two yellow papers with talismans and bloodstains.

They also seized chicken feathers, a pair of scissors, a round-shaped stone, a small bottle with a yellow substance, a bag with a grinded substance and a bag with a wooden substance cut into small pieces.

The police also seized the plastic box the defendants wanted to use in their alleged sorcery to ‘multiply the money’. It contained a faded coloured piece of cloth.

“The officer had only been there for a few minutes when the cops raided the place. The defendants were not caught red-handed and there was no proof of any deal being concluded,” Al Dakhakhny argued.

The Public Prosecution has not yet appealed the verdict.

mary@khaleejtimes.com