Court employee asks for Dh2.5m bribe

An Egyptian accounting expert who was assigned the task of preparing financial reports in a case allegedly asked one of the parties for Dh2.5m bribe to make the report in his favour, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.
 
The 59-year-old Lebanese investor informed the police about the bribe request put forth by AM, who works in the Ruler’s Court and police asked him to negotiate to reduce the amount and to pay it on installments.
 
The Lebanese investor MN told investigators that in 2005 he had set up an engineering company and his national sponsor was an architect who works in a Dubai Government establishment. Although he used to pay Dh40,000 monthly to his national sponsor, the latter sued him and all the company’s employees claiming a theft of Dh91m.
 
In 2008 and with the knowledge of the national sponsor, the investor sold his share to an Italian and it was was registered with Dubai Court.
 
In 2013, the national sponsor refused to renew the licence and wanted to buy all shares in the company, said the Lebanese investor.
 
In 2014, the national sponsor sued him claiming theft of Dh91m from the company’s revenues.
 
The Dubai Prosecution assigned AM from the Ruler’s Court to prepare a separate financial report regarding the case.
 
AM started contacting the Lebanese investor and asking him to supply some documents in his workplace (the Ruler’s Court).
 
One day, the Lebanese investor asked him when the report would finish. AM answered him that it would need two to three years.
 
After that AM started calling the investor from different mobile phones, and one of them was an international number.
 
He asked him to meet in a coffee shop. During the meeting AM started talking about his financial difficulties and telling the investor that he had purchased a number of property units and that all his salary went on paying installments.
 
“He told me that if I want to get the report quickly and to have it in my favour, I should pay Dh2.5m. I asked him to give me some time to think,” said the investor.
 
The investor told his lawyer about the request of the financial expert and the lawyer advised him to wait.
 
“After that I met him more than five times and each time he used to ask me by writing on a tissue paper on the table when he will get the money,” said the investor.
 
On February 21, the investor met AM in the coffee shop. The investor asked him to give him some time to arrange an installment of Dh300,000.
 
The lawyer had informed the police and police asked him to take the investor’s testimony.
 
The investor told the police about the bribe request and after investigating his claim, police asked the investor to help in arresting AM red handed.
 
From February 25 to March 2, the investor used to reply to AM’s repeated requests to give him time to arrange Dh300,000 as first installment.
 
Police gave the green light to the investor to meet AM and hand him over the police money.
 
After setting the meeting in the afternoon, the Lebanese investor who was followed by a police officer arrived in the coffee shop first.
 
The Lebanese investor sat outdoor, while the officers sat on different tables.
 
When AM arrived, he asked the investor to move inside. The investor did not show any concern and followed him in.
 
Inside the coffee shop and after getting the amount and smoking the shisha, AM left from the back door.
 
The investor called the officer and informed him. The officer tried to follow AM, but he had disappeared by then.
 
The officer managed to track down AM’s car to a coffee shop in Deira. The officer saw AM sitting with two women.
 
At 8.40pm, the officer accompanied by a policewoman arrested AM and his two companions.
 
The policewoman searched the women but did not find anything. However, the officer confiscated Dh89,000 from AM’s car which he admitted that he took it from the Lebanese investor to prepare his report.
 
AM was confronted and was asked about the remaining amount.
 
AM inflicted a wound on his left wrist with a key while screaming: “Let me die... I want to die.”
 
An ambulance was rushed and AM was provided with the treatment, then he was taken for interrogation.
 
When asked about the remaining Dh211,000, he said that he managed to give Dh200,000 to an Egyptian called SA.
 
Police summoned SA the next day. SA had by then handed over the amount to MM as a favour.

MM was summoned and he handed over Dh100,000, while claiming that the remaining Dh100,000 was with someone called MC.
 
Police confiscated the amount and met with MC who gave the remaining Dh100,000.
 
All the notes were the ones that the police had given the investor.
 
Criminal Evidences supplied the prosecution with the recordings of the investor and AM's meetings.

Upon examining the recording it was proved that the two men whose voices were on the recording belonged to that of the Lebanese investor and AM.
 
AM claimed that he was insulted while he was in detention. However, footage of CCTV camera captured AM beating himself with his shoe.

He was also captured scratching his back with something rough.
 
AM, denied the accusation when he appeared before the court. The case has been adjourned until September 16.
 

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