'Fraud' SIM: Driver rings up Dh200k

An Iranian businessman who bought a trade licence from another person was shocked when he received a message from Etisalat about a mobile telephone bill of Dh191,542!

“I immediately approached Etisalat and found out that five GSM SIM cards had been issued in the company’s name,” MM, 35, Iranian businessman told investigators.

“I was also told about the name of the person who had issued the SIM cards. Checking the signature on the company’s letterhead submitted with the applications, I found it was forged. The company’s addresses mentioned on the letterhead was also forged.

“I contacted the original owner of the trade licence and enquired with him about the SIM cards. He assured me that he had not given the company’s letterhead or the trade licence to anyone,” he added.

The victim informed Etisalat and the police about the matter. The victim later met the accused RM, 29, Pakistani driver, Al Ain resident, who admitted to obtaining the letterheads but denied knowing that they were forged. He claimed that he had obtained them from someone whose his name or address he did not remember.

The accused made contradictory testimonies when questioned by investigators, the Prosecution noted.

In one story he admitted to forging the address of the company and signing on behalf of the applicant. In another, he said he had met someone called Mohammed Ibrahim who was on a visit visa and who gave him the applications to issue SIM cards which he had handed them to him. He also claimed that the so called Mohammed had promised to offer him a job in his company. In a third version of his testimony , RM told investigators that his Emirati sponsor for whom he worked as a labourer on his farm on Abu Dhabi - Ali Ain Road had given him the applications and asked him to obtain SIM cards for employees of his company.

“I obtained the SIM cards and gave them to my sponsor,” he said.

Calling the mobile number that the accused gave to investigators claiming that it is of Mohammed Ibrahim, police found out that it was another person’s number.

Confronting him with that, the accused changed his story and claimed he knew the so called Mohammed Ibrahim through an advertisement in Al Khaleej newspaper and that the latter is not his sponsor but he had promised to give him a job and to transfer his visa.

The Court will reconvene on October 7.
 

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