Dubai: Two jobless men have been accused of beating a merchant and stealing Dh3.1 million from him that was meant to be used to purchase petroleum products.
The 42-year-old Indian merchant, who trades in petroleum products, was said to have been contacted by a fellow businessman from India who informed him about a deal to purchase petroleum products worth nearly Dh11 million in September.
The merchant communicated with two men, a 30-year-old Syrian and 26-year-old Uzbek, according to records, who informed him about the Dh11 million worth deal and asked him to prove his financial status by bringing part of the money in cash.
The merchant asked his bank to provide him Dh3.67 million in cash and he collected the money on his own risk and responsibility.
The merchant was mugged and robbed when he went to meet the purported dealers, the Syrian, the Uzbek and another man, with cash in a bag.
The suspects took him in their vehicle for a while before they beat him up and snatched the bag from him.
The merchant managed to keep hold of Dh500,000 out of the total amount of cash that he had with him for the deal.
After a complaint was lodged by the merchant, police apprehended the Syrian and Uzbek suspects while the third suspect remains at large.
Prosecutors accused the suspects of assaulting the merchant and stealing his Dh3.1 million.
The duo pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
Their defence lawyer asked presiding judge Urfan Omar to summon the prosecution witnesses to hear their statements when the court reconvenes on November 6.
Meanwhile, the merchant’s lawyer lodged a civil lawsuit against the suspects and in which his client is seeking temporary compensation against his moral and financial loss.
The merchant told prosecutors: “I met the suspects in their car in a parking lot near Port Saeed area … once I showed them the money, they assaulted me, threw me out of the moving car and snatched the bag from me. I managed to keep holding to a bundle of Dh500,000. I reported the matter to the police instantly,” he told prosecutors.
A police lieutenant testified that the Syrian and Uzbek suspects were apprehended once they were identified.
“During questioning, the suspects said that they picked up the merchant in their car and discussed with him the probability of converting the dirhams to US dollars. They said that they beat the Indian merchant, took the money and drove away after pushing him out of the car. They distributed the stolen amount among themselves once they reached Sharjah … police seized around Dh3.1 million from the suspects’ possession after their arrest,” the police official said.
The trial continues.
