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19 March 2024

DNRD officer offered bribe for illegal visas

A businessman allegedly offered a DNRD officer a bribe of Dh5,000 to process 21 illegal residence visas. (File)

Published
By Eman Al Baik

An Indian businessman allegedly offered an officer at Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) a bribe of Dh5,000 to process 21 illegal residence visas, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

Sergeant Khalid Saif testified that while he was on duty in one of the department’s offices in another government department, businessman NM, 48, accompanied by someone called Shehab, approached him and presented applications for visas or for stamping visas on passports.

“I received the applications and Shehab told me NM would come and collect them. After a couple of days, NM came and collected the processed applications. On this day he proposed to me to be his partner in a trade licence against Dh6,000. I agreed and we exchanged mobile numbers.

“On March 18, 2014, the accused called me and suggested that I process illegal family visas against Dh5,000 that he would pay every ten days or deposit in my bank account. Though I was surprise by the offer, I pretended to agree and informed my senior who informed the police,” testified the officer.

Police asked the officer to carry on with the accused to help arrest him red handed.

The officer called the businessman and informed him of his acceptance of the deal but asked for cash payment.

On the following day, the businessman visited the officer in his office and handed him 13 applications for family visas.

The day after, the businessman gave the officer four more family visa applications in addition to four other transaction for stamping visas on passports.

The two agreed that the businessman will give the officer Dh2,000 when handing over the processed visas to the businessmen and the rest Dh3,000 should be paid after delivering the visas to their holders and collecting the remaining amounts from them.

Police asked the officer to process the 21 illegal transactions and to communicate with the businessman to hand over the processed visas.

On March 24, at around 4.30pm, the businessman and the officer agreed to meet in the parking lot at the officer’s work place.

The businessman arrived, sat in the officer’s car, received the processed visas and paid Dh2,000.

Police arrested the businessman red handed after the operation.

Police found out that the visas belonged to 16 Indians, four Pakistanis and one Sri Lankan. It was found out that the leases enclosed with the applications were forged.

Police officers repeated corroborative testimonies.

The court will reconvene on September 13.