Court rejects appeals against ruling on fine and jail term

The Dubai Court of Appeals yesterday rejected appeals lodged by two defendants sentenced to fines and prison terms in a case of financial irregularities in Nakheel.

The appeals were filed by UAE national WA, 32, former general manager of sales at Nakheel, and Egyptian KT, 28, a former Nakheel sales representative, against a ruling sentencing them to three years each in prison and a joint fine of Dh3 million.

In addition, the court ordered the confiscation of a sum of Dh1.5m, which had been kept as guarantee pending the case, and also rejected an appeal lodged by the public prosecution to increase the sentences against the two accused.

Saeed Al Gelani, the second defendant's lawyer, said the sentence upheld the initial ruling of a three-year imprisonment for each. But the new thing was the confiscation of the money deposited before the case. Al Gelani said he planned to challenge the rulings at the Court of Cassation.

Earlier, KT had been released on a bail of Dh1m and after he was guaranteed by a UAE national who would pay Dh1m in case the defendant violated bail conditions.

The two had sought a Dh5.1m bribe from a realty brokerage in return for processing its purchase of a plot owned by Nakheel.

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