Ministry inspector ‘sought Dh50,000 bribe from Dubai spa owner’

Emirati is accused of asking for the amount for excluding the spa from unannounced inspections.

DUBAI // A Ministry of Labour official is accused of seeking a Dh50,000 bribe from a spa owner for excluding her spa from unannounced inspections.

Dubai Criminal Court was told the 31-year-old Emirati called the Chinese woman in December last year.

“He introduced himself as an inspector and I remembered him because he had issued me an Dh80,000 fine a year before, which I paid. He then began warning me against sudden inspections and offered to help me avoid them,” said the 42-year-old spa owner.

She told prosecutors the man asked her for Dh60,000 for his help but then reduced the amount to Dh50,000.

“I told him ... I would have my husband deliver the amount but he refused because my husband is an Emirati. He said I should come and he would send his driver,” said the owner, who called police. The driver was arrested after taking the money.

An Emirati policeman said the driver admitted receiving money from other Chinese people for the inspector, who was arrested after meeting his driver to collect the cash.

The policeman said the accused denied asking for a bribe, but had warned her about breaches and that she had said she want to “send him a gift”. Police found eight mobile phones with the accused and prosecutors obtained a recording of the phone conversation between the woman and the defendant.

In court on Wednesday, he denied a charge of seeking a bribe. His Pakistani driver, 20, denied aiding and abetting. The next hearing will be later this month.