3 who sold 11 cars in owner's absence jailed

Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced three Sri Lankan fugitives for selling 11 cars worth Dh2.8m without the knowledge of their employer.

All three were sentenced in absentia to three years in jail each.

The court also ordered KA, 36; BR, 42; and MR, 49 each to pay Dh150,000 as a fine. They were ordered to be deported after serving their jail terms.

While AT, 43, Kazakhstani, investor and his partner were not in the country, three staff members of a second-hand car company exploited the opportunity and sold eleven cars to two persons after forging documents needed by RTA for ownership transfer.
 
On May 22, the car dealer returned to the county to discover that his auto showroom was emptied out and that the three employees were not there.
 
Reviewing the CCTV camera footage he found out that at around 4pm on the day before his return, four men came to the showroom and the three staff members helped them take out the cars. Later in the evening, other people came and took the remaining cars.
 
“The three took their passports. One claimed that he needed it to renew his lease, the other claimed that he needed it for a surgery for his wife while the third told me that he wants it as he is looking for a job,” the employer told the police.
 
Police found out that the three fled to their home country on the same flight on May 22.
 
Checking with RTA, it was found out that one of the staff, KA, 36 filled the forms and signed on and stamped transactions for selling the cars that were listed for exportation by the buyers.
 
 “KA did not have any power of attorney to sign on applications on behalf of the owners,” the man told investigators.

The company’s stamp was locked in a cabinet in the showroom. Only my partner and I are authorized to sign and stamp selling contract, “ he added.

AS, bought 10 cars for Dh980,000 while its market value was more than Dh2m. AJ, bought one car for Dh135,000 while its market value was Dh200,000.
 
AS transferred only one car to his name while the rest were for export.
 
Police confiscated some of the cars that were in AS' possession.
 
AS approached RTA to enquire why police did that and if there were any problems, and he was informed that the seller did not have power of attorney from the owner.
 
Police found out that the three staff members used a mobile phone that was in the showroom allocated for the showroom work, sent messages to clients over WhatsApp claiming that the owners of the shop have closed it and there was an opportunity for them to buy cars at reduced prices.

The staff asked interested buyers to contact them on their own mobiles and not the showroom’s.
 
The cleaner testified that he was asked to clean the cars on the morning on May 21.
 
“In the afternoon, some people came and collected some of the cars.
 
Later, I was asked to leave the showroom,” he said denying any knowledge about the cars’ theft.
 
RTA employees who processed the transactions told investigators that because of the daily work pressure they face, they stamped a no objection letter from the showroom and so they did not check the signature on the contracts.

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