Three men have been accused of offering a utility company employee a Dh110,000 bribe to reconnect power and water to 40 villas.
Dubai Criminal Court heard how the trio claimed the properties had been disconnected by authorities following multiple bill violations.
Last March, one of the accused, 36, visited DEWA offices and offered an employee cash to assist him.
The staff member reported the incident to his management team who in turn contacted police.
Officers then arranged for the employee to meet the defendant and his co-accused so they could record the men offering the illegal bribe.
“He [the employee] was then provided with a list of 11 villas out of the 40 where power had been disconnected following a notice from Dubai Municipality over multiple violations,” a DEWA manager told the court.
One of the defendants then offered the employee Dh10,000 for each villa he agreed to reconnect.
Following advice from police he agreed to connect two as a test, and the following day received Dh20,000 in cash from a second man.
“The two asked him to start reconnecting power to the remaining villas,” an Emirati policeman said. “He agreed and then signalled us to arrest the pair.”
Further investigations then led officers to arrest a third man connected with the scam.
In court, one defendant denied offering a bribe while his two accomplices failed to appear.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 3.
