ADWEA insurance chief on Dh300m charges

Abu Dhabi // The head of insurance operations for the emirate's electricity and water regulator embezzled nearly Dh300 million by accepting bribes to award contracts to insurance companies, including her own, a court heard yesterday.

Five people - three Jordanian men, AI, MI and MMI; an Emirati woman, MGH; and an Egyptian man, TZ - appeared before the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance charged with corruption-related offences.

MGH was identified in court as the head of the insurance department for Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). She was charged with forgery and acquiring illicit profits for herself and others. Her job is key to her ability to commit the offences of which she is accused.

Prosecutors say she awarded contracts worth Dh297 million to her private company and other insurance companies over a period of 10 years. A representative from ADWEA asked for Dh200,000 in initial damages from the five in the dock and three companies that won contracts.

During investigations, according to lawyers, prosecutors found MGH had Dh100 million in her bank accounts. They ordered a freeze on her assets, and those of MMI. MMI's assets were also frozen in Jordan through Interpol, the court heard.

MGH told prosecutors she had been authorised by Sheikh Diab bin Zayed, the authority's chairman, to include her company among those eligible for contracts. She said she never used her influence to award herself any contracts.

"Did you, in your capacity as an employee at Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, acquire unlawful profits, for you and other people?" Chief Justice Saeed Abdul Baseer asked her. She answered no.

She also pleaded not guilty to charges of awarding contracts in exchange for high commissions, and of forging an insurance letter.

MMI, who held a senior position at ADWEA for 10 years, was accused of conspiring with MGH in forging the insurance letter. He pleaded not guilty to forgery charges. The three others were accused of acquiring illicit profits, which they denied.

MGH and MMI have been in prison since November 7. The others are on bail. MGH's four lawyers asked that she be released on bail to allow her to present a better defence, as they said she had documents in her home that could help her case. MMI's lawyer told the court that his client was "by no means worse than the others" and should also be freed on bail.

"I have no clue why the Public Prosecution have locked up my client in prison without evidence," Abdulraouf Abdulqader told the court. "He should be treated as innocent until proven guilty; that is not the case here."

The court made no decision on the bail applications and MGH and MMI remain in custody.

Nine lawyers appeared for the defence, including Sameh Ashour, former chairman of the Egyptian Bar Association, who travelled from Egypt to represent MGH. The case was filed by the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority. Its representatives declined to say how they found out about the alleged offences.

Defence asked the court to ban media reporting because it was a "case of public interest". Chief Justice Saeed Abdul Baseer rejected the request and said media outlets were entitled to report anything that took place inside the court. "Because it is a case of public interest, the public should be allowed to know about it," the chief justice told the lawyer.

Four witnesses attended the hearing yesterday but could not give evidence until lawyers studied the case, which was continued until January 30.