• Home
• /
• UAE
• /
• Crime

Dubai: Manager sends 'insulting' emails, 'causes' losses of Dh1.3 million

Dubai - He claimed that the businessman had conned thousands of others out of millions of dirhams as well.

A British man is on trial in Dubai for slandering his compatriot, resulting in the loss of business worth hundreds of thousands of dirhams for the latter.

The Dubai Court of Misdemeanours heard that the defendant, 36, a diamond company manager in the emirate, caused the victim, 41, massive financial losses by damaging his reputation.

ALSO READ:

>> Dubai: Tourist caught with bags of marijuana, claims he thought they were bananas

The events date back to August 2019, when the accused sent out emails to the victim’s clients, in which he described the plaintiff as a conman.

In one email, the defendant wrote: “Beware of him, he is a conman. Just call police.”

This happened after the pair agreed on a diamond business deal in 2017.

The defendant, who admitted to sending the emails, said he did so after he transferred money to the claimant as part of a diamond purchase deal — but his associate failed to finalise the contract.

“I sent the emails after I realised that he conned me and, when I asked that he return the money, he was stalling,” the defendant told judges.

The victim’s lawyer told the court that after sending the insulting emails, one of her client’s customers stopped doing business with him.

“One of my client’s customers terminated a contract worth $354,000 because of the defendant’s emails,” the lawyer told the court.

ALSO READ:

>> Man who conned UAE resident to get him driving licence told to pay Dh3,000 back

She told judges that, in a second email the defendant sent, he claimed the victim had scammed him as well as thousands of other people out of millions of dirhams.

A civil case has been filed against the defendant, seeking compensation for the damages.

The defendant was charged with issuing insults, under the UAE’s cybercrime law. He has denied the charges. A verdict is expected to be passed soon.