Man attacks, robs sales manager of Dh80,000 on Dubai street

Dubai - 'I lost balance after he pushed me and fell off my bike'

An expat has been charged at the Dubai Court of First Instance for allegedly forcibly robbing Dh80,000 on the street.
Public prosecution records show that the incident took place on December 24 last year when the 24-year-old Asian expat attacked a man on a bicycle and snatched a cash envelope from him. He has been detained.
The complainant, a 31-year-old Arab sales manager at a jewellery shop, said during investigation that he went to collect a cheque worth Dh500,000 from the shop's bank account in Meydan Bani Yas. "It was around 11.55am on December 24. I kept Dh420,000 in a briefcase and the rest of the amount in an envelope."
The manager then left the bank branch on a bicycle. "I was riding down an alley when I was suddenly attacked by someone (the suspect charged in the case). He snatched the envelope from my hand. I lost balance after he pushed me and fell off my bike."
The thief fled the scene with the envelope containing Dh80,000. "I tried to chase him but in vain. He quickly disappeared between the buildings. I suffered minor bruises to both my knees," the manager recounted.
The manager and the shop owner filed a complaint later at Naif police station.     
"We received a report about a forcible robbery incident in Souq Mourshed at 12.15pm. The complainant told us that the suspect took a cab after the robbery," a police corporal told the prosecutor.
With the manager's descriptions of the thief and the footage of the CCTV cameras in the area, the police tracked down the suspect. At 12.30 pm on January 14, the police arrested the accused in Al Qusais. He was then stalking bank customers and behaving suspiciously.
During the police interrogation, the defendant totally denied the robbery accusations. No cash or stolen items were found on him. He had not settled down in one known place that could be searched. 
The manager identified him three times among other suspects at the police station.   
The accused will be sentenced on August 30.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai