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28 March 2024

Debt collector keeps Dh173,000 and flees UAE but returns cash after 8 years

Published
By Eman Al Baik

A former debt collector of Deyaar allegedly embezzled Dh173,000 from his company before fleeing the UAE, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

On August 8, the accused TA, 38, sent his sister eight years after the incident to return the money to the employer and obtain a document from Deyaar stating that it is dropping the case.

However, the case went to the court.

The embezzlement occurred during the period from August 8 to October 2, 2006 when TA was working as debt collector in Deyaar.

Deyaar’s legal affairs manager, who joined the company after TA had fled the UAE, told investigators that he was assigned to investigate TA’s case.

As debt collector, TA is authorised to collect cash and cheques from Deyaar’s customers who had purchased properties from the company. TA was to give receipts to customers against payments they made.

Best Global Trading had purchased a property for which Deyaar had issued them a letter.

Documents proved that TA had taken the installment for himself on August 28, 2006. He had collected a cheque issued by Best Global Trading which enabled withdrawal of the amount by the holder of the cheque, said the legal advisor.

The legal adviser did not have any information why Best Global Trading had issued the cheque in favour of the holder and why there was no mention of Deyaar as beneficiary on the cheque.

“The accused deposited the cheque in his bank account and his bank had collected the amount from the cheque issuing bank. After the amount of the cheque was deposited in TA’s account, he had withdrawn it and fled the country,” testified the company’s legal adviser.

“After the incident, TA left the job and the UAE without any previous notice and disappeared. On September 12, 2006, Deyaar sent a letter to Dubai Residency and Foreign Affairs Department and learnt that TA had left the country.

“On the following day, Deyaar lodged a complaint with Muraqqabat police station. Deyaar then called the accused on the telephone number that he had given along with his home address. During the conversation, TA did not deny the theft but promised to return the embezzled amount.

“After eight years on August 19, 2014, TA’s sister visited Deyaar’s office accompanied by an Egyptian woman and paid the amount of the cheque against Deyaar giving her a document stating that it is dropping its complaint,” the legal adviser told investigators.

The Court will give its sentence on November 11.