Four men accused of DEWA power plant theft

Two of the defendants worked as security guards at the sites

Four men have been accused of stealing machinery and cables worth more than Dh1m from two Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) plants.

Dubai Criminal Court heard how two of the Pakistani defendants, all aged between 25 and 28, worked as security guards at the sites.

Between November 2018 and February this year, the pair allowed their co-accused access to the plants illegally, according to prosecutors.

Together they stole parts worth Dh1.4m, selling the machinery to a Bangladeshi man who worked at a scrapyard in Sharjah.

Appearing in court, three of the four Pakistani men stood charged with theft as well as aiding and abetting a crime. The fourth man remains at large.

The Bangladeshi scrap merchant, 28, was charged with knowingly possessing stolen items. All the defendants denied the charges.

“We came to know of the theft in March when a malfunction in both plants was reported to our operations room,” said a DEWA engineer.

A complaint was filed with Jebil Ali police station on March 17 and an investigation into the incident was launched.

Police discovered one guard was paid Dh25,000 for his role in the scam while his colleague received Dh45,000. “They also tipped us off about their compatriots,” a police lieutenant told prosecutors.

A verdict in the case is expected on October 16.