A public relations officer has been sentenced to one year in prison for embezzling nearly Dh1 million from his employer by forging receipts.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that the Syrian, 28, carried out the crime while working as a public relations officer for a contracting company in Dubai.
His duties included settling payments on behalf of his employer, with accounts including the Roads and Transport Authority.
In 2017 and 2018 he forged 370 payment receipts attributed to the RTA.
He submitted the receipts to his employer after stealing more than Dh720,000 that should have been paid to the RTA.
Prosecutors charged him with embezzlement, forgery, use of forged documents and breach of trust. He denied all the charges in court last March, but was found guilty.
A 35-year-old lawyer said he lodged a complaint with police after the incident came to light in August last year when the accused went on holiday and the head of accounts took over his duties.
"The accused's duties included making payments to government departments, including the RTA, who said he didn't pay," said the lawyer.
He was given Dh792,000 to settle the payments, but the RTA confirmed that they had only received Dh72,000, said the lawyer.
"He took the cash and altered the receipts, which he then gave to his employer to make it appear as if he had paid the RTA," he said.
He will be deported after serving his jail time.
