DUBAI // A former Nakheel executive who spent more than four years under house arrest for a crime he did not commit was given his passport back on Sunday.
Marcus Lee was accused of trying to pocket Dh44 million by fraudulently selling a piece of the collapsed Dubai Waterfront project but was cleared of any wrongdoing in May.
The return of his passport from the authorities is the final confirmation that there will be no further appeals in the case.
Mr Lee, 44, and his wife Julie can now return to their home in Sydney, Australia.
“While we may never fully recover and get back to our prior position, before this stared in 2009, we hope that now we can move on with our lives and be happy again,” he said.
Mr Lee had been unable to leave Dubai since 2009, when he had to surrender his passport.
He was one of two former Nakheel employees arrested in Dubai in January that year and charged with abuse of public funds, fraud, breach of trust and acquiring illegal profits and commissions.
The case related to the rights to develop the plot of land, called D17.
Mr Lee spent nine months in jail before being placed under house arrest in October 2009.
But after more than 50 hearings at Dubai Criminal Court, he was cleared of all charges in May this year.
Prosecutors fought the decision but the Court of Appeal upheld the acquittal in November.
“We thank the Dubai authorities for finally accepting that Marcus is innocent,” said Mrs Lee.
The other Nakheel employee and Mr Lee’s compatriot, Matthew Joyce, was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was unexpectedly acquitted of all charges last month.
jbell@thenational.ae
