Bank manager accused of helping steal Dh1.85m using forged documents

A bank manager and two other men allegedly stole Dh1.58 million from the account of a client by using forged documents, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

According to the Prosecution sheet, the account manager in HSBC bank, AMM, 29, Jordanian, released information of the bank’s client Baz Raouf Kareem to the other two accused AHM, 29, Syrian, clerk,  and MSM, 31, Syrian, salesman, who forged a driving licence in the client’s name and withdrew D1.85 million.

 The bank’s account manager is also accused of releasing secrete information of a client for the purpose of stealing the money.

MSM is accused of forging withdrawal orders on June 12, 2010 with the value of Dh1.45m and the second on July 10, 2010 for withdrawing Dh130,000 by posing as the holder of the account.

The manager and the clerk agreed with the third accused of committing the crime.

Shaker Habib, 29, Customer Service Manager in HSBC, testified that as per the rules of cash withdrawal the holder of the account should personally approach the bank and submit an identification document which can be a driving licence, ID card or the passport.  The information in the identification document should be written on the withdrawal receipt.

“In case the client sought withdrawing more than Dh100, 000, one of the managers who are authorised to endorse withdrawals of big amounts should sign on the receipt and in this case AMM made the endorsement. The authorised manager should check some information of the client and personally deal with him to process the transaction,” he testified.

Habib testified that on Saturday June 12, 2010, he was the only teller in the bank and that a person came claiming he was the holder of the account Baz Raouf Kareem and asked for withdrawing Dh1.45 million which he wished to get in dollar.

“I told him about the endorsed exchange price and he wants a probably more convenient price he should wait until Monday when the financial market re-open. He decided not to wait and proceeded with the withdrawal and exchange. I gave him the application to fill the information and he handed me an original driving licence in the name of Baz Raouf Kareem. I took a photocopy of the driving licence and the transaction was referred to the manager Sayed Darwish who asked the client to wait until preparing the required cash. Ten minutes later AMM approached the client and asked him why the transaction was not made so the client told him the reason.”

Sayed Darwish arranged the amount and forwarded the approval electronically. And as per the procedures one of the managers should sign on the receipt.

“I went to AMM who I saw him talking to the client to sign on the receipt. AMM signed on the receipt after asking me whether this application is related to the client who was standing in front of the teller. I answered affirmatively and he signed without checking the information. Later I came to know that the money was stolen by using forged driving licence which carried the name of the client and the picture of the person who approached the bank. One of the bank’s accountants suspected the driving lincence when the accused approached the bank to withdraw another amount and asked him to submit his passport. The accused did not return to the bank and later came to know that he had withdrawn Dh130,000 from the bank’s branch in Sharjah, ” Habib testified.

Police arrested the fake client and he confessed to giving the forged driving licnece to AMB who had forged it.

Lt Walid Nasser testified that AMB confessed to having friendship relationship with the bank’s employees and he named AMM and others partners to committing the crime.

Lt Hassan Rashid testified that AMM confessed that he had agreed with the other two to steal the money.

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