Legal consultant on trial in Dubai for bid to extort Dh1.2m

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Legal consultant on trial in Dubai for bid to extort Dh1.2m

Dubai - The defendant admitted to the charges during the investigation.

By Marie Nammour

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Published: Sat 29 Sep 2018, 5:00 PM

Last updated: Sun 30 Sep 2018, 9:48 AM

A legal consultant allegedly blackmailed a corporation he worked for and tried to extort Dh1.2 million, a Dubai court has heard.
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 an ultimatum until 10:00am the next day to drop their complaint against him and pay up his gratuity. He allegedly threatened to send his letter to many parties and make sure their business would be affected.
He also allegedly 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.
At the Court of First Instance, he faced charges of online blackmail, gaining unlawful access into an e-system and copying data and information without authorisation.
The defendant allegedly made the threats from April 23 to August 24 and a complaint was filed at Bur Dubai police station.
The Greek legal advisor, 36, said during the 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 for his claims, he got angry and destroyed a laptop."
Due to this, a property damage complaint was filed against the defendant.
"On April 23, we asked the IT section to access the defendant's work e-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 asked for large amounts of money, and for the company to drop a property damage complaint and to recover his passport," the advisor said.
He added that the defendant threatened to send e-mails to the corporation's business partners and clients, stating that the firm was corrupt. "On April 25, we were informed by our clients that they received such e-mails from the accused," the advisor told the prosecutor.
In another e-mail, the accused wanted the firm to pay him a Dh1.2 million gratuity and another Dh150,000. He allegedly threatened to send documents to the police and 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 and attempted extortion of Dh1.2 million.
The defendant admitted to the charges during investigation. 
The trial was adjourned to October 1.
mary@khaleejtimes.com


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