The 40-year-old Iraqi engineer tampered with the production date of the 2007-model SUV by making it read 2011 on the export certificate so he could send it to Iraq in February 2013.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendant of forging the export certificate and providing the forged documents to the shipping company and Dubai Customs to export the SUV to Iraq.
The accused entered an innocent plea and refuted all his accusations when he defended himself in court.
When asked in court if he forged the police stamps on the export certificate and used it, the accused replied: “I did not do such a thing… I did not forge or use any forged papers.”
Presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat said the defendant will be deported after serving his jail term. The forged documents will be confiscated.
Prosecutors accused the engineer and an unidentified suspect named (Ali) of forging the export certificate and using those papers to export the car.
Records said the engineer and absconder, the unidentified suspect, tampered with the car’s date of manufacture and the chassis number.
A customs inspector said an Indian shipping company worker handed him the forged papers to export the SUV to Iraq.
“When I checked the car’s details I discovered the discrepancy in the manufacturing dates and the chassis number. When I asked the worker about it, he claimed that his duty was only to export the car contending that he did not have any further details. He told me that he would inform the defendant [in his capacity as the car owner who wanted to send the car to Iraq],” claimed the inspector.
Records said the police were informed about the forged papers.
A police lieutenant testified that they summoned the Iraqi for questioning.
“He alleged that he wanted to export the car to Iraq but he could not do so because it’s an old model [2007]. He said he met a man named Ali in Sharjah Industrial Area and the latter suggested that he could help him export the vehicle… the defendant claimed that Ali asked him to pay Dh7,000 and bring an export certificate from Sharjah Police. Thereafter Ali contacted the defendant, according to the latter’s statement, and provided him with the certificate and the money. Later on the so-called Ali called the suspect and told him that the custom papers were ready. The defendant claimed that when he collected the customs papers and the export certificate, he noticed that the manufacturing date was changed from 2007 to 2011,” the lieutenant claimed to prosecutors.
The ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
