Dubai: A salesman and his wife have been accused of duping a female student and using forged documents and a forged cheque to buy her sports utility vehicle (SUV) for Dh32,000.

The 23-year-old Libyan student was said to have posted her car’s photo and contact details on Dubizzle and advertised her vehicle for sale for Dh35,000.

The Egyptian salesman, M.E., was said to have called the student and requested to meet her and check the SUV.

After showing interest in buying the car, M.E. and his wife, M.S., met the student at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) branch in Al Barsha where they finalised the required paperwork and purchased the car against a cheque for Dh32,000.

When the Libyan woman discovered that the bank account was closed and she could not cash the cheque, she discovered that she had been double-crossed.

Prosecutors accused the Egyptian couple of hoodwinking the student and misappropriating her vehicle using forged RTA documents and a forged cheque as well.

According to records, the wife remains at large.

The salesman entered a not guilty plea and firmly refuted a list of forgery and swindling charges when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said M.E. posed [on paper] as someone named T.H. and forged the latter’s signature on RTA papers so he could transfer the ownership of the car to himself. Prosecutors also said the defendants forged the cheque that they used to buy the car.

The student testified to prosecutors that the salesman identified himself only as M. when he contacted her, wanting to buy the SUV in March.

“He was so persistent and in a rush. I met him and the woman whom he claimed to be his wife [M.S.] at Jumeirah where they examined the car. He took a copy of the car registration and my driving licence on his mobile phone to use the next day while finishing the deal. The next day his wife came and spoke to me a lot and quickly… I think she was distracting me and rushing me to sign the ownership transfer papers that I did not pay attention that the name [T.H.] was written on the RTA papers. When I realised that the bank account was closed, I contacted M.E., who denied having dealt with me. I realised that I had been deceived and reported the matter to the police,” the student claimed to prosecutors.

Police arrested the salesman in a sting operation.

The trial continues.