DUBAI // A married couple landed in court after the husband registered a 2007 Bentley owned by his friend in his wife’s name, Dubai Court of Misdemeanours has heard.

Frenchman KH, 35, said he bought the car but it was registered in his friend’s wife’s name because he was not yet a resident of the UAE. However, later when he was driving the vehicle he was stopped by police, who seized the car because it had been reported missing.

“I sent them [the showroom] Dh325,000 for the car then came to register the car and take it with me to France,” said KH.

But he was told that he could not register the car in his name since he was not a resident.

“So I called my friend, FA, the defendant, and told him what happened so he suggested that we register the car in his name,” said the Frenchman.

“He then told me that there were several traffic fines against him and suggested that we register the car in his wife’s name until I get a residency issued to me and then I can register it in my name.”

On the police incident, he said: “The car was taken from me and given to FA so I went to the showroom and got documents to prove that I bought the car and paid for it then reported the case to police.”

Showroom manager MS testified that the Frenchman came to buy the car and paid for it after he had contacted them from France. “He saw the car on our website then called to buy it. We agreed and he came to Dubai and paid its full price,” said MS.

Police interrogated the Emirati couple and the wife, TM, 26, said she knew nothing about the car.

“I only came to know of it when he asked me to accompany him to a police station and report the car was missing,” she said, adding that she did not even know who KH was or how it was registered in her name.

“Later, he [her husband] asked me to accompany him again to the car registration centre to sell the car and sign some papers for that purpose,” said TM, who had been told by her husband that the car was his.

The husband denied embezzling the car and said he bought it from KH for Dh300,000 after the latter had complained about some mechanical problems.

“I bought it before he registered it in his name after he started complaining from it,” said FA.

He said that he only reported the car missing because the Frenchman was travelling and he had the car keys.

The court convicted the husband with fraudulently obtaining a car belonging to someone else and sentenced him to two months in jail. His wife was found not guilty.

salamir@theantional.ae