Man accused of forging documents to embezzle 38 iPhones from du

Pakistani on trial in Dubai over phones valued at more than Dh100,000.

DUBAI // A man allegedly forged documents and used them to set up 10 false mobile phone lines so he could embezzle 38 iPhones, a court heard on Monday.

Prosecutors said that Pakistani AK, 27, was a customer care agent at a company contracted to du at Dubai Duty Free, in the airport, and between January 7 and 27 in 2011 he acquired the iPhones that were valued at more than Dh100,000.

Kenyan du employee NJ, 29, said that a complaint was received from a man called ZA stating that he had found out he had a phone line registered in his name, even though he had never requested it.

“We found out that the defendant had called ZA and told him that his overdue payments would be settled and the line would be discontinued,” said NJ.

The company’s fraud department launched an investigation and found out that AK had placed several calls to numbers issued by him.

“AK was brought in for questioning and he told us that a Pakistani man, identified as TY, had sent him several documents that are required to purchase postpaid lines,” added the Kenyan.

Emirati AM, a regional coordinator with du, said: “Outstanding payments on the lines issued by AK were Dh87,867. The defendant also embezzled 10 postpaid scratch cards.”

AK told prosecutors that the iPhones had been recovered.

At Dubai Criminal Court on Monday, the defendant did not appear to enter a plea.

The case was adjourned until June 8.