Man forges papers to claim dead brother's land in Dubai

Dubai - The trader faced forgery and use of forged document charges in the Court of First Instance.

A trader allegedly forged a land share sale contract upon a power of attorney given to him by his late brother, a Dubai court heard on Tuesday.
The 61-year-old Kuwaiti trader had falsely stated in the plot of land registration agreement that his late brother had sold his share to him. The disputed contract was signed 11 days after the death of the owner and the trader's alleged motive was to exclude the heirs from their father's rights in the estate located in Jumeirah 3.  
He also allegedly used the forged document and presented it to a Dubai court in an inheritance lawsuit.
The trader faced forgery and use of forged document charges in the Court of First Instance.
The case dates back to February 2016.
The trader's 35-year-old Kuwaiti niece said the defendant registered the disputed plot of land (a share) at the Land Department upon a sale agreement dated June 12, 2013. "He had bought the land from my late father by a power of attorney given to him by my father."
She told the investigators that the registration happened 11 days after the death. "My uncle presented reports to the Shariah Court which stated that we had no rights in that piece of land."
The trader admitted during investigation that he began transferring the land ownership and registering the plot at the Land Department after it had been sold by the deceased man to him and other family members.
He presented a sale agreement claiming it had been signed by him and his late brother.
A letter from the Land Department sent to the public prosecution said that they were not aware that the landowner had passed away at the time of the plot registration.
"The department could only be notified by the legal heirs, and that did not happen. The registration was completed in accordance with the power of attorney the trader had and within the usual procedure followed by the department," that letter said.

• Dubai