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29 March 2024

Embezzler caught in the act by office camera

Published
By Eman Al Baik

The Dubai Criminal Court awarded an Emirati employee of Dubai Customs at the Cargo Village three months jail and ordered him to pay Dh1,000 fine for embezzling public money.

MA, 23, clearance clerk, asked her colleague to take care of Dh3,430 in her cash drawer as she wanted to leave for noon prayers with her colleague MS.

Just then a customer approached her counter, so her colleague AAS asked MA if her machine and password were operating, she testified before the prosecution.

She answered in the affirmative and asked him to be careful not to commit any mistake and to pay attention to her cash drawer otherwise she will be held responsible, MA told prosecution.

After returning she checked the cash drawer and found Dh1,000 missing. Initially, she thought her colleagues took the money as a joke. She asked MS who was the only one present at the counter, but MS told her he did not take the money.

MA asked MS to check with AAS on the phone. His answer was that he did not take any money.

The next day, MA personally asked AAS and the latter assured her he did not take any money. So she told him that she will complain to police.

NA told her senior about the incident who said he will check and resolve the matter instead of defaming Dubai Customs reputation.

However, MA was shocked when one of her seniors asked her to pay the missing Dh1,000 from her pocket. She refused and insisted on lodging a complaint with police on May 15.

Checking the camera recording at the counter police found that AAS, 30, Emirati, had opened the plaintiff’s drawer with his right hand while covering it with an envelope that he held in his left hand, testified Major Juma Salem Al Room of Dubai Police.

AAS looked around to ensure that no body was watching and immediately left MA’s desk, but he forgot that there were cameras capturing his activities.

When confronted with the recording, AAS confessed the crime before police and prosecution.