Dubai hospital worker 'takes bribes in return for sick leave slips'

Police arrest employee after sending in an undercover officer to pose as a patient

A hospital worker is on trial after allegedly asking a police officer for a bribe in return for issuing him a sick leave note.

Police were tipped off about the Jordanian hospital employee in Dubai and sent an undercover policeman to pose as a patient.

The officer visited Emirates Hospital on January 9 and told the services clerk he had back pain.

The accused, 39, processed the Emirati policeman’s paperwork and then spoke to the officer about having a few days off work to recover.

“We then spoke on the phone and he asked me how many days I needed,” said the policeman.

The accused agreed to give the officer three days of sick leave in return for Dh450.

The undercover officer and clerk agreed to meet at 8pm at the emergency entrance of the hospital.

As soon as the accused gave the officer the letter and took his money, a police team arrested him.

During questioning, he said he started accepting bribes to issue sick leave documents from October last year — after he obtained the stamp of an orthopaedic consultant who had left the hospital.

An official from the hospital said they did not know how he got the stamp.
Investigations revealed the man issued nearly 40 sick leave slips and charged people between Dh50 and Dh150 for each document.
In court, he was charged with seeking bribes, forgery, use of forged documents and stealing a doctor's stamp.
He denied all charges at Dubai Criminal Court on Sunday.
A verdict will be issued on September 18.