Salesman ‘offered safety inspector cash and iPhone to ignore breaches’

He allegedly offered the Dubai Civil Defence inspector Dh2,500, an iPhone 7 and a perfume bottle to ignore safety breaches and help company’s application for a no objection letter.

A sales executive is accused of offering a Dubai Civil Defence inspector money and an iPhone to turn a blind eye to the health and safety lapses at his premises, a Dubai court heard on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Indian allegedly offered the officer Dh2,500 in cash, an iPhone 7 and a Maserati perfume bottle, though he denies the charges at Dubai Criminal Court.

The inspector’s job is visiting companies to check if legally required safety equipment is present and working, and if they are up to Civil Defence standards, he issues a no objection letter.

The defendant allegedly promised the inspector the gifts if he would overlook the fact that his company did not have the necessary equipment. He is said to have sent the inspector a picture of the gifts in March.

The Emirati inspector, 27, told prosecutors that the defendant approached him while he was in uniform and asked for his mobile phone number.

“He told me he needed my help and would be calling me later that day, so before I gave him my number, I called my supervisor and informed him of the situation,” he said.

“My supervisor directed me to play along so I gave the defendant my number then about three days later he sent me a picture of an iPhone and told me it will be mine if I solved his problem with a pending [NOL] application,” said the inspector.

On April 9, the two agreed to meet and police were told of the time and place.

“The defendant told me that his application was rejected by my colleagues because the premises of their company did not have the required safety equipment and that he wanted me to approve the application and issue them a NOL in return for some cash and an iPhone,” said the inspector.

He added that the accused told him that, if he accepted the job, he would provide him with more business looking to flout the rules, paying him between Dh8,000 and Dh20,000 each time.

The defendant was arrested as he handed the inspector the Dh2,500, prosecutors said.

The next hearing is on September 19.