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29 March 2024

Licence renewal fee request gets return death threat

Published
By Eman Al Baik

Two Armenians allegedly threatened to kill a business partner after the latter renewed their licence and started claiming the licence renewal fee that he had paid on their behalf, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

MF, 32, Syrian manager, sought partnership with a garage owner EB, to participate in a bid in Sharjah for fixing gas cylinders in cars.

“EB asked me to renew the licence which I did and for which I  paid a renewal fee of Dh14,210.  After that, AK travelled overseas and when I called him, he promised to transfer the amount to me. He was conning me as he did not do that and instead he sent SMS messages threatening to kill me and that he would send people to kill me,” the victim testified.

One of AK’s men called the victim from Russia, saying they belong to the mafia and they would kill him if he did not stop seeking return of his money. When the victim stopped answering their phone calls, the culprits started searching for him by calling people he did business with.

One day, the victim left his office in Abu Hail to see two cars on both sides of the street, one of which was driven by AK while the other had tinted glasses so he could not see who was in it.

“The two cars chased me for about 20 minutes. AK swerved in front of me and stopped in a dangerous way. Then he opened the glass and threw a bottle of water at me after sending me SMS threatening to kill me. I drove to Muraqqabat police station and lodged a complaint. So I asked him if he wants me to come to the police station,” he testified.

SK, 29, Syrian decor carpenter, testified that he received a phone call and a man who was talking in Iraqi dialect asked about MF.

“I told the caller that I did not know whereabouts MF. He then asked me to pass the message to MF. He wanted MF to return his call. Then the caller gave the phone to someone who talked in English who threatened to kill MF and to kidnap his son and asked me to pass this message to MF,” testified the carpenter.

“Three days later, MF called me and asked me to come to Muraqqabat police station and testify,” he said.

The victim’s brother testified that a man who was taking in Iraqi dialect threatened MF with kidnapping and killing his son and assaulting his wife if he did not stop calling and asking for his money, after scaring him by saying that they are mafia men and that they are twenty people and they could carry out the threat.

The Prosecution asked the Court to award the stiffest penalty against the accused.

Evidences of the threatening text messages were submitted to the Court which will reconvene on March 17.