Cook acquitted by Dubai court over luxury car theft and death threat charges

Three men who arranged to buy a Maserati threatened the Filipina woman who was escorting them to the traffic department on her boss's behalf.

DUBAI // A cook has been found not guilty of being one of three men who threatened to kill a woman and her family if she did not help them take ownership of a Maserati supercar.

Dubai Criminal Court heard last November that Filipina NL, 39, was authorised by her boss to sell his car and, on January 5 last year, she said she received a call from a potential buyer who has spotted an advert for the car on Dubizzle.

“He said his name was Ahmad and asked for the address to come [and] see the car. I gave it to him and he arrived at the Palm Jumeirah in a Range Rover with three other men,” said the Filipina.

She said the men were very friendly and chatted with her about the car then about her home country and family.

“We then agreed on the sale in return for Dh420,000,” said NL. “I was to call a recovery service to drive the car to the traffic department so we can finalise the procedures but one of them said that we can drive the car there.

“I called my boss and told him and he said it was OK, so we drove to Al Barsha branch.”

The woman said that, as they approached the traffic department, the men took her bag and phone, as well as the car’s ownership certificate.

“They then threatened me, saying that I should tell traffic employees that I received the car’s price in full or they would kill my daughter back in Philippines, as well as my family, and would also kill me,” said NL.

“They said they were Emiratis and can cause me harm.”

She was dropped off near Dubai Mall after the incident and she called her boss’s friend and told him what had happened. He then told her boss, who reported the incident to police.

Police tracked down the Range Rover, which turned out to be a rental, and arrested Yemeni cook DA, 43, as he came to the rental office to retrieve a passport that was left when the car was rented.

“We asked him why would he come to take a passport that doesn’t belong to him and he said that he was promised Dh500 if he did so but the man who offered him the money disappeared after DA’s arrest,” testified policeman EA, 37.

All three of men have so far eluded detection.

The cook denied charges of stealing the car and of issuing threats to kill. He was acquitted on Monday.