Dubai public servant on trial for embezzling visa extension fees of Dh77,595

A public servant allegedly embezzled Dh77,595, being one day’s collection of fees for visa extension, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

MJO, 30, Emirati was assigned to collect visa extension fees from employees who received money from clients. One day, he came to his senior and told  her that the safe had been emptied.

His senior, NA, 50, Yemeni, was in a meeting with the accountant when MJO came to her and told her that the previous day’s revenue of Dh77,595 was missing.
“He had two copies of the safe’s key in his hands when he told me that the revenue was missing. He was supposed to hand over the revenue to be deposited in the airline’s bank account. I checked the matter and found out that the safe had been opened with a duplicate key that was with the director. I searched the director’s drawer but did not find the key, so I reported the matter to the airline’s security,” she testified, adding that the office where the safe was kept did not have any surveillance camera and is not locked and that MJO usually used a duplicate key that she kept.

She also told investigators that, after the missing of the money was noticed, MJO had asked her to request the security guards not to reveal that he had come to the office at around 10pm on the day of the theft.

The airline’s security officers questioned all employees in charge of collecting visa renewal fees and they all said that MJO was assigned to collect revenues from them on a daily basis and that he was tasked with keeping the money in the safe before depositing it in the airline’s bank account on the following day.

“The handing over of daily revenues to MJO is done against a special form where details of each visa and the fees are mentioned,” said one of the employees.

The airline’s security also questioned the building’s guard who said MJO had come to the office at around 10pm and stayed there for about five to seven minutes. “He said he needs to get into the office to process a visa for his friend. However, there were no papers in his hands when he entered and went out of the office. None of us accompanied him to the office as we are not allowed,” testified NK, the Nepali guard.

MJO admitted to stealing the returns of February 4. But he made the confession after three days of investigations. He said he took the money as he was in financial difficulties. He said he used part of the amount for paying his flat’s rent.

The Court will reconvene on September 15.
 

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