Bank worker charged in Dh500,000 theft attempt

Prosecutors say he gave details of a corporate account to another customer, who then tried to make a fraudulent withdrawal.

DUBAI // A bank employee accused of attempting to steal Dh500,000 from a bank customer denied the charge and told a Dubai court this morning he was the one who caught the real thief.

The defendant, MA, 27, from Pakistan, worked for Ras Al Khaimah National Bank as a services officer, Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance records said.

According to court records, MA tipped off a man identified in records as RH about confidential data concerning a company’s bank account, and both tried to steal Dh500,000 from the account.

Prosecutors said that the scheme failed when the bank’s cashier discovered the theft attempt.

SK, a bank employee, testified that RH came to the bank on June 17, 2010, a day before the theft attempt, and filed a complaint that his ATM card did not work when he tried to withdraw money from his account.

She said MA stepped in to solve the problem, and when RH returned the following day, he filled out a withdrawal application to take Dh500,000 from what he said was his account.

SK said that although RH provided accurate data for the account, she was suspicious and requested more identification documents, records show.

At that point, she told prosecutors, RH started giving her excuses for not carrying his IDs and told her he had been in a car accident recently and lost his wallet. He said he wanted to close his account, records show.

She told prosecutors MA tried repeatedly to approve the withdrawal, but the manager refused.

RH left the bank and did not return, according to SK’s testimony, and MA went on an annual leave.

A Dubai police lieutenant at the Anti-Economic Crimes section told prosecutors MA had provided RH with the bank details and ordered him to make up a problem so he could help him withdraw the money without presenting an ID card, his testimony shows.

MA testified he had actually discovered the theft, although he presented no evidence for his claim.

A verdict is expected on March 28.