Dubai: Contrary to claims made by David Haigh, the former Leeds United chief executive currently in jail in Dubai, statements from the banks confirmed that payments for fake invoices were made to Haigh, GFH Capital said in a statement on Wednesday.
Haigh is being detained by the police in Dubai while under investigation for embezzlement of at least £4 million (Dh23.8 million) from his then employer, GFH Capital, by fabricating approaching 100 false invoices.
Haigh had previously told the courts in Dubai and England that he “could not recall” whether these accounts belonged to him and sought to oppose those applications and the release of these statements to GFH Capital.
The witness statements confirm that two accounts with the Cooperative Bank in Manchester are held in Haigh’s name and an account with NatWest Bank in Putney was held in the name of Rafael Utiyama, who is a friend of Haigh, were used for transfers.
The statements show that those accounts alone received in the region of £1.9 million in more than 50 separate transfers between January and December 2013.
GFH Capital, a subsidiary of Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House, launched legal action against Haigh soon after his arrest when he arrived at the company’s Dubai office on the premise of discussing a new job.
