Worker forges stolen cheque to embezzle Dh1.2 million in Dubai

Dubai - The Arab employee was charged in absentia.

A bank customer service employee went on trial in absentia on Tuesday at the Dubai Court of First Instance on the charge of siphoning off Dh1.2 million from a British customer's account.
The runaway Egyptian employee was charged with voluntarily damaging the interests of a public entity to get a profit for himself, embezzlement from workplace, fraud and forgery.
Public prosecution records show that the incident took place on July 9, 2015, when the former employee stole the cheque from the cheque book of the customer who was then in his office. He forged the cheque later and embezzled Dh1.2 million from the victim's account.
He faked the victim's signature on the cheque and issued it to the benefit of a travel and tourism agency. He deposited it in the agency's account and encashed it.
A Sudanese officer at the section of counter fraud and forgery at the bank told the prosecutor that the case unfolded when they received a complaint from the British customer about the withdrawal of Dh1.2 million from his current account. "The customer said he received a message from the bank on July 9, 2015, alerting him about the withdrawal and when he contacted the defendant, the latter claimed to him that it was a mistake on the part of the bank and that the amount would be deposited back in his account. It was then returned."
On July 15, 2015, a cheque worth Dh1.2 million was again withdrawn from the victim's current account but this time the amount was not returned. "We found that the cheque was issued to the benefit of a travel and tourism agency which the complainant had no dealings with," the witness said.
According to a report from the general directorate of criminal evidence and forensics, the handwriting and signature on the cheque were those of the defendant.
A verdict will be issued on July 30.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai