Man attempts to extort Dh1.2 million from Dubai corporation, jailed

Dubai - He unlawfully copied contracts and draft contracts which he then sent to his personal e-mail.

A legal consultant, accused of blackmailing a corporation he worked for in extortion bid of Dh1.2 million via e-mails, was sentenced to eight months in jail by a Dubai court on Monday.
Public prosecution records show the 41-year-old French legal consultant sent the complainant, a Greek legal advisor, e-mails in which he gave the corporation, he worked for, and which he called a fraud, an ultimatum until 10am the next day to drop their complaint and settle his status and pay up his gratuity. Otherwise, he threatened to send his letter to many parties and make sure their business would get hit.
He also logged into the e-system of his workplace - a renewable energy services corporation - and unlawfully copied contracts and draft contracts which he then sent to his personal e-mail.
The Court of First Instance convicted him in absentia of charges of online blackmail, gaining unlawful access into an e-system and copying data and information without authorisation. It ordered his deportation.
The court also ruled that the defendant pay Dh21,000 in temporary civil damages to the plaintiff.
The defendant's threats lasted from April 23 to August 24 and the complaint was filed at Bur Dubai police station.
The Greek legal advisor, 36, said during prosecution investigation, the defendant called for a meeting on April 22 to discuss administrative corruption at work. "During the meeting, he claimed the plaintiff was paying bribes to other businesses to land project contracts and win tender bids. When asked whether he had proof to his claims, he got angry and destroyed a laptop."
The meeting was then ended. The police were informed and a complaint was filed against the defendant.
"On April 23, we asked the IT section to access the defendant's work mail. We then found he had sent confidential documents (draft contracts) to his personal e-mail. On April 24, I received an e-mail from him, in which he was asking for large amounts of money, and for the company to drop a property damage complaint and to recover his passport," the advisor recounted.
He added that the defendant threatened them that if his demands were not met, he would then contact their business partners and clients telling them that the said corporation was corrupt and into bribes.
"On April 25, we were informed by our clients that they received such mails from the accused," the advisor told the prosecutor, pointing out that the accused wanted them, in another e-mail, to pay him a Dh1.2 million gratuity and another Dh150,000, or he would present documents to the police and the public prosecution stating that the corporation was paying bribes to obtain business contracts.
A German executive manager corroborated the advisor's testimony about the defendant's threats and blackmail as well as attempted extortion of Dh1.2 million.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai