DUBAI // A property investor accused of offering a bribe of Dh500,000 to a Nakheel employee to waive late-payment fees was acquitted at Dubai Criminal Court yesterday.
Helped by police, Nakheel sales executive W M wore a wire to record his meeting with Iranian W Z in a five-star hotel, where it was claimed he was handed Dh400,000 in cash.
W M, 40, from Colombia, told the court that Nakheel’s collection department held a meeting in May last year in which representatives of investors whose payments were in arrears were asked to attend. They were told that a total of Dh11.5 million was owed in late payments and associated fines.
Records show that 32-year-old W Z alone owed Nakheel Dh3.7 million in fines.
“A few days after the meeting, W Z called me and requested to meet me,” said W M. “In this meeting he offered me Dh200,000 in return for helping him to cancel the fines.”
W M said he refused the money and informed Nakheel’s legal department, which requested that he play along with the claimed offer. At the same time, police were informed.
“I started negotiating with W Z for a month and we settled on a payment of Dh500,000 if I cancel the fines,” said W M.
Nakheel prepared documents that purported to show that the fines had been written off.
On June 10, the two met at the hotel, where W M presented the accused with these documents.
“After seeing the documents, he gave me Dh400,000 and said the remaining amount will be handed over once he ensures the validity of the documents,’ W M said.
The meeting was being secretly recorded by the police, who had fitted W M with a wire device.
W Z was arrested by police once he opened the bag containing the money.
Policeman T A, 33, testified that the phone conversations between W Z and W M were recorded on the day of the arrest.
Despite the evidence, W Z was acquitted of the charges.
