DUBAI // A long-serving Dubai Public Prosecution official was indicted yesterday in a Dh29.7 million fraud case, accused of using his position to entice investment in non-existent projects.
The official, MB, 35, is the former secretary to the chief cassation prosecutor, and has worked for Dubai Public Prosecution for 15 years.
MB, an Emirati, was arraigned along with four other men and one woman — all Palestinians — on charges ranging from impersonating public officials, embezzlement and forgery, to issuing murder threats.
He is accused of working with the businessman MG, 48, and his wife, MZ, 37, who worked at the Commercial Bank of Dubai; MA, 23, a student; and MO, 42, and IZ, 28, employees at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.
It is claimed that MB fraudulently presented himself as a senior public prosecutor nominated by senior government officials to hold a judicial position. He is alleged to have told witnesses he was related to the former Minister of Interior and had deep connections with the Ruling Family and the Dubai Attorney General.
Working together, prosecutors said, the defendants defrauded the 30-year-old business director Samer al Sadek, who is Palestinian, of Dh29.7m through misrepresentations and forged documents.
All the defendants denied the charges yesterday at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance.
Statements from 10 prosecution witnesses, however, said MG had developed a business relationship with Mr al Sadek through M G's company, Innovation Private Options, which customises Range Rovers. According to prosecution records, MG presented forged purchase orders from contracting companies working with Nakheel and Emaar projects, and offered Mr al Sadek a chance to finance the purchases of cranes and machinery, which would be sold for a high profit to the contracting companies.
Mr al Sadek, who owns an industrial company that produces plastics and other materials, told prosecutors that from 2007, he had done small business deals with MG and MB, and received returns with profits.
He said that by May 2008, however, MG was failing to pay him back for the financing.
He then filed a police report and handed in bounced security cheques; MG was arrested. MB, MO, MA and IZ are accused of threatening him and filing cheque cases against him.
MO is also said to have threatened Mr al Sadek by saying that he would be "chopping him in to pieces and putting him in bags before dumping his body parts in to Dubai Creek for the fish to eat them", prosecution records show. IZ was also charged with threatening to sexually assault Mr al Sadek.
MG remains in custody. The other defendants are free on bail.
The court will reconvene on December 26.
