Published in: Gulf News | Khaleej Times
Obtained supplies using dud cheques and then fled the country
Dubai: A man fled Dubai and left his father and colleague to face justice after the trio allegedly scammed 13 suppliers out of Dh8 million.
The 32-year-old British CEO of a series of companies in Dubai and his father, along with a 35-year-old fellow Brit sales executive, claimed to have signed billion dirham contracts with a major local event in Dubai then used these claims to scam suppliers into selling them products worth millions using dud cheques.
The trio opened offices, a warehouse and hired staff to carry out the scam and even placed adverts in local newspapers seeking to purchase different products.
Owners and representatives of 13 companies contacted the defendants based on the adverts and provided them with different products worth more than Dh8 million.
Duped companies reported the incidents to Dubai Police last October after cheques they were issued bounced after the lead defendant fled the UAE.
The British manager of fencing services company said that he met the defendant and his 58-year-old father while selling fencing materials.
“I met the two defendants at their offices in Dubai’s Investment Park. They asked me to provide their company with fencing materials worth Dh536,000 but I was handed cheques that later bounced.
They illegally obtained the money,” said the victim.
Another victim claimed that he supplied the defendants with Dh4 million worth of carpets.
“After the cheques they gave me bounced I visited their office to find it was empty,” added the other victim, who is a Turkish national.
Another company supplied ceramics valued at Dh1.4 million and they were also paid in dud cheques.
Records showed that the cheques were issued, signed and handled by the British CEO.
All victims said they visited the offices of the defendants’ two companies where they saw an active business and employees but later the offices were empty.
Dubai Public Prosecution charged the defendants with fraudulently obtaining millions in cash and products, which they denied.
Emirati lawyer Awatif Mohammad Khouri from Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy representing the sales executive said that her client didn’t sign the cheques.
“He didn’t sign the cheques and he didn’t hand them to victims. Some victims proved that in their testimonies. We have witnesses to prove that our client is not part of the scam,” said Khouri.
Khouri requested the court to summon the victims for cross examining.
The trial has been adjourned until April 20.
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