Hotel owner turns the table on blackmailing inspector

A hotel owner, who allegedly bribed an inspector for not issuing violation tickets, decided to turn the table on the latter when he started blackmailing him by claiming need to pay for bounced cheques, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

RJH, 45, Indian, complained to the police against KMH, 44, Emirati inspector, when the latter started asking him for Dh25,000 every month after he had already been given Dh50,000 on two occasions.

RJH is also being prosecuted for bribing a public servant for not imposing fines for violations of rules in his hotels. He testified that he had to dissolve the partnership of the hotel he had started with a compatriot in 2003 when he found out that his partner had bribed KMH Dh25,000 for not imposing fines for violations in 2011.

“When I decided to open my own hotel in February 2012, I received a call from KMH who told me that he needed money for settling bounced cheques of his property company. He came to my office and I gave him Dh25,000 in cash and told him that other inspectors are still fining me.

“He answered that he cannot stop other inspectors from doing their duty. He also said he will fine me for renting out the clubs in my hotels to others so that his seniors don’t blame him for not doing his job.

“After 25 days in March, he called me and told me that he urgently needs Dh35,000 to pay for a bounced cheque or he will be sacked from his job. I asked him to give me a week to arrange the amount and he accepted. At that time, I had to travel home and as I returned after more than a week. I learnt from my employees that KMH has inspected the hotel and asked for documents but could not impose any fine because there was no violation of rules. I understood that was because I did not give him the money he wanted. I called him and told him that I will send him a cheque for Dh25,000 through my accountant because I am too busy to meet him,” RJH testified.

KMH encashed the cheque after getting RJH’s signature on the back of the cheque. In April, RJH communicated with a security officer who used to come to the hotel and told him about KMH blackmailing him. The officer advised him to carry on with him and to lodge a complaint with the police so as to enable the police undertake the necessary procedures to catch him red handed.

After a couple of days, the hotel owner received a call from KMH asking him for money, claiming that a cheque had bounced.

“I lodged a complaint with the police which gave me a recorder and  cash of Dh25,000 to give to KMH. I met him in a coffee shop in a hotel and handed him the amount in an envelope. Policemen, who were observing the operation, came to the table and arrested him with the money in his pocket on May 7,” he testified.

When he was arrested, KMH initially denied receiving any amount from RJH, but when he was shown a photocopy of the currency notes that were confiscated from his pocket, he admitted and signed on the photocopy of the notes, a policeman testified.

The accused also confessed to receiving a total of Dh50,000 from the complainant in two instalments, one in cash and the other by cheque for not imposing fines on the complainant.

The accused said he was forced to do what he did to pay for bounced cheques in cases pending in the court.

The court will reconvene on October 22. 

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