Three jailed by Dubai court for assaulting businessman in dispute over Dh300,000

DUBAI // Three men have been jailed for three months after being found guilty of locking up and assaulting a businessman in a dispute over Dh300,000.

The Iraqi victim, 42, told Dubai Criminal Court he had an agreement with three Jordanian defendants to build villas at the Orange Lake project in Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“They owed me Dh300,000 in commission for that project and kept stalling,” he said. “They handed me cheques that bounced so I reported them to police.”

After filing a report he said the men – an engineer, 28, an investor, 36, and another man – called him and asked to meet so they could pay him the money in cash on December 8 last year.

“At their office they gave me Dh150,000 in cash and a cheque, but then one of them locked the door and the others assaulted me, dragged me with a rope around my neck and forced me to sign a document that I had taken my money,” the victim said.

“Then they took the cash and the cheque they gave me.”

The attackers pleaded not guilty to confinement and theft, while the engineer denied damaging the victim’s car by breaking the windshield with his bare hands.

They will be deported after serving their prison sentences.