Ex-employer taking revenge, says accused

An Egyptian accused of stealing Dh100,000 from the coffee shop he worked for has denied the charges and said the accusation is vindictive.

WJ defended himself at the Dubai Misdemeanour Court saying that he had filed a case against his employer, and owner of the coffe shop, who did not grnat him his leave for the last six years, in July 2009.

And now his employer was taking revenge by accusing him of stealing cash.

He also told the court that his job at the coffee shop was only to serve sheesha and coffee and not handle cash. Only on ocassions when the accountant Muna was absent, and upon request from the owner, did he register the collection and handled the accounts. 

The owner of the shop has sued him for breach of trust and stealing Dh100,000 from the shop during  the period June 2008 to June 2009.

The accused said it was only after a year of him leaving the job that the employer filed the case against him.

He also defended himself saying the account register submitted by the employer did not include the

one year period he is accused of stealing.

Meanwhile, Nader Mohammed Rida, 30, a regular customer of the cafe told the court that Muna used to

collect money from custoemrs and that WJ would only serve him sheesha.

However, he added, that one day Muna asked him to pay his cousin's unpaid bill.

This was about one year prior to the shop's closure.

The court adjourned the case until August 22 for the complainant to submit the civil right defence.