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29 March 2024

'Lawyer' settles case, cons cook of Dh33,600

Published
By Eman Al Baik

Egyptian legal consultant, AA, 25, allegedly conned a compatriot of Dh33,600 by claiming to be a lawyer, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

The 49-year-old victim, SY, cook, had a rent-related bad cheque case pending in Dubai Courts.

In September, a man he knew, MS, introduced him to a lawyer to help him settle the case.

The ‘lawyer’ introduced himself to the victim as AH.

The three met in the victim’s flat to discuss how the lawyer could help him with the case.

“The ‘lawyer’ asked me to make him a power of attorney for court representation and asked for Dh2,000 fees. He pretended to be processing the case and I paid him a total of Dh33,600 in instalments.  At the last meeting, he told me that my case was over and handed me a document that carried the Dubai Prosecution’s letterhead and I paid him  Dh11,000. He also told me that I have to visit the court and hand them over the document he gave me,” the victim told investigators.

In the court, the cook was told that his case was pending and that there was still an arrest warrant against him.

“I submitted the document that the ‘lawyer’ had given me and was shocked when I was told that the document is forged,” the cook told investigators.

His flat mate, YA, 24, Jordanian engineer, told investigators that he was present when some meetings were held in the flat.

“One day the ‘lawyer’ came along with MS, the mediator between the two, and asked him to pay a sum of money. A couple of days later, the victim told me that the ‘lawyer’ had disappeared and was not answering his phone calls.

“Later, my flat mate contacted MS and told him that the document was forged. The later assured that they will pay him back his money. However, MS insisted that the document is genuine and asked him to check with the concerned authorities once again,” the flat mate told investigators.

Police arrested the bogus lawyer who admitted to swindling the victim.

Dubai Prosecution reported that the photocopy of the letter was forged. In addition to forgery, AA is accused together with a fugitive of conning the victim of Dh33,600.

AA is currently serving a three-month jail term after being convicted of a similar swindling charge.

The court will give its sentence on May 25.