Driver accused of stealing Dh2.2 million in gold from boss’s safe

The boss, an Afghan businessman, became suspicious when his driver would not answer his phone. He later checked the safe and found 105 gold bars and his passport were missing.

DUBAI // A driver stole Dh2.2 million worth of gold from his employer then fled the country, the Criminal Court heard on Sunday.

Prosecutors said that on June 2, Pakistani A A, 46, took 105 gold bars from the safe of his employer, Afghan businessman S S, 30.

S S said that he had called A A that morning to ask him to pick him up from his home but he found the driver’s mobile phone was switched off.

“I called my cook, who is A A’s roommate, and asked him where A A was,” he said.

“The cook told me that the driver had taken a large plastic bag and then left to meet a friend and said to the cook that he would return after Al Dhuhur prayers.”

Later that day, A A was still not answering his phone.

“At 9pm the same day I called again. So I called the cook who said that A A had not returned. I was suspicious and upon checking my safe I found that the gold was missing, as well as A A’s passport, then I knew he had stolen them,” said S S.

A couple of days later, police arrested two of A A’s acquaintances, A A A, 39, and D A, 29, both Pakistani.

The pair led police to a construction site, where 60 of the bars had been buried.

M A, 42, an Omani policeman, told the court: “When we questioned A A A, he said that this was all the gold he received from A A, who was his relative. He said A A asked him to hide the gold and promised to help him get a driving licence in return.”

A A was charged in absentia with theft. A A A and D A were both charged with hiding stolen goods, which they denied in court on Sunday.

A verdict is expected on November 4.