DUBAI // A man who racked up telephone bills worth more than Dh190,000 by taking out Etisalat accounts under false identities was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison.
S T, 32, from Afghanistan, was sentenced in absentia by the Criminal Court.
His scam was uncovered when a man returning from holiday in Iran noticed his company’s faxes and telephone lines had been disconnected.
“I called Etisalat to inquire and they told me I have Dh195,241 in unpaid bills. I told them it was impossible because I pay monthly even if I was outside the country,” said M Z, 30, from Iran.
The company informed him that he had applied for four telephone lines, all of which had outstanding bills.
When the company showed him the application forms he told them they had been forged.
Police arrested S T, who they believe carried out the scam with the aid of a second man, who has not been charged. The pair had used forged documents to apply for the telephone lines.
S T was sentenced in absentia. Court records did not make clear his whereabouts.
The court also ordered him to be deported after serving his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae