Dubai expat embezzles Dh13.4m from boss's bank account, jailed for life

Dubai - The ruling may be appealed by the defendant and the public prosecution.

A sales manager, who siphoned off more than Dh13.4 million from the bank accounts of his Russian boss, was sentenced to life in prison in absentia by a Dubai court on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old Kazakh manager, who is on the loose, withdrew Dh13,432,200 from his employer's bank account after tampering with papers and misusing the SIM card of the victim's mobile number that is linked with that account.
According to public prosecution records, the real bank account holder was out of the UAE when the defendant applied for a replacement SIM card in his name.
He forged two money transfer forms which he sent to the bank, on the victim's behalf.
The Court of First Instance found him guilty of charges of forgery, fraud, embezzlement, faking an entity seal and ordered his deportation after serving 25 years in jail and paying a Dh1-million fine.
A 33-year-old Kazakh female accomplice was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The complainant, a 51-year-old Russian company owner, said that both the defendants used to work for him.
"They took advantage that I was out of the UAE from September 2 to September 13, 2013, to withdraw large amounts of money from the accounts of my company. I was surprised back in my home country when I found that my mobile service was disconnected and I could not reach the two accused as their mobile phones were then switched off."
He got worried and suspicious when the staff told him that the duo left the country on September 7 or 8 the same year.
"When I contacted my bank, I was told that $3,660,000 was withdrawn from my bank accounts. The amounts were transferred to another account that I have no knowledge of. I was advised to come back at the earliest and file an objection to the bank, which I did through my lawyer," he recounted to the prosecution investigator.
He was instructed to first file a complaint at the police station.
The complainant later came to know that the first accused got in touch with the bank after he managed to avail of a replacement SIM card on his mobile number (the complainant's) and carried out the money transfer transactions in his name. The defendant forged papers, including two money transfer forms, which he stamped with the victim's faked signature and his company's seal.
He used that new SIM card for bank's validation for those transfers.
The case dates back to September 2013 and a complaint was lodged at Al Rafaa police station.
The ruling may be appealed by the defendant and the public prosecution.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai