Dubai: The Dubai Court of First Instance has sentenced two Lebanese brothers to six months imprisonments for posing as defence ministry employees and defrauding a businesswoman into signing a deal to sponsor an alleged celebration of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's accession as Dubai Crown Prince.
Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout said the defendants, a 29-year-old office manager and his 34-year-old brother will be deported after serving their jail sentence. Prosecutors charged the defendants with swindling a 38-year-old Uzbek businesswoman identified only as D.M. The defendants denied the charges. "I am not guilty. I didn't forge any document… the contract between us was not forged. The ministry knew about this and nothing was forged," said A.A. His brother, T.A., also denied the charges. Prosecutors said A.A. had forged documents bearing the Defence Ministry's stamp and logo which T.A.,presented to D.M.
Presentation
"They came to my office dressed like Emiratis and claimed that they were ministry employees. They said they were looking for sponsors for Shaikh Hamdan's accession ceremony. They claimed that my company's name will be posted on banners and that the logo will be displayed as part of an e-presentation. They convinced me that it will be placed on the VIP table. We signed a deal and I paid them Dh300,000 in six cheques. They breached the contract. My company's name and logo didn't appear. Later I realised they withdrew Dh200,000," D.M. told prosecutors.
Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout said the defendants, a 29-year-old office manager and his 34-year-old brother will be deported after serving their jail sentence. Prosecutors charged the defendants with swindling a 38-year-old Uzbek businesswoman identified only as D.M. The defendants denied the charges. "I am not guilty. I didn't forge any document… the contract between us was not forged. The ministry knew about this and nothing was forged," said A.A. His brother, T.A., also denied the charges. Prosecutors said A.A. had forged documents bearing the Defence Ministry's stamp and logo which T.A.,presented to D.M.
Presentation
"They came to my office dressed like Emiratis and claimed that they were ministry employees. They said they were looking for sponsors for Shaikh Hamdan's accession ceremony. They claimed that my company's name will be posted on banners and that the logo will be displayed as part of an e-presentation. They convinced me that it will be placed on the VIP table. We signed a deal and I paid them Dh300,000 in six cheques. They breached the contract. My company's name and logo didn't appear. Later I realised they withdrew Dh200,000," D.M. told prosecutors.
