Dubai: Dubai’s highest court has overturned a 27-year imprisonment against a Dutch woman, who will stand a new trial in the case of defrauding 295 investors of €4.98 million (around Dh25 million).

Dubai prosecutors had charged a Dutch businessman, C.H., of swindling 295 investors from the Czech Republic and Slovakia after luring them to invest in Dubai real estate.

Prior to February 28, 2012, the man posted bogus advertisements on a website that he developed and deceived the investors by claiming that he owned high-rise towers in Dubai.

C.H.’s Dutch wife, M.E., was charged with aiding and abetting her husband on 295 counts.

The Dubai Misdemeanours Court had earlier sentenced C.H., who remains at large, in absentia to 73 years in jail.

M.E. was handed a similar imprisonment for aiding her husband.

After entering a not guilty plea and appealing the primary verdict, the Appeal Court commuted the woman’s 73-years jail term to 27 years.

M.E.’s lawyer Obaid Ali Obaid, of Jaafar, Alwan and Al Jaziri Advocates, argued before the Dubai Cassation Court that his client did not cheat or swindle any of the Czech and Slovakian investors.

“The court has decided to overturn the appellate ruling. The case will be referred back to the Appeal Court for a new bench of judges to look into it and hand out a fresh verdict,” said the Cassation Court’s presiding judge.

Advocate Obaid argued before the Cassation Court that his client did not have any criminal intention and did not commit any wrongdoing.

“She did not aid or abet her husband in what happened. The law enforcement procedures were carried out improperly against M.E.,” he said.

Court records said the husband promised investors that he meet them in Slovakia and Czech Republic and familiarise them with his realty projects. He deceived investors by arriving at meetings in a luxurious car, accompanied by private guards. He claimed to investors that he had worked in the investment business for many years in Dubai and owned towers and other properties.

The man also provided investors with photographs of what he claimed were his properties and projects under construction, according to records.

He also showed investors pictures of impoverished African children and claimed that he donated money for their welfare.

C.H. was also said to have promised the investors a 36 per cent guaranteed profit within the first 14 weeks of their investment, as mentioned on the website.

Advocate Obaid contended before the Cassation Court that the appellate judgement was full of contradictions and inconsistencies.

“The appellate court decided that, based on the financial auditor’s report, to convict my client on 108 counts of swindling but cleared her of the rest. That’s an obvious discrepancy… my client should be cleared of all counts. She did not commit the crime … the investments took place in Slovakia and Czech Republic and my client had nothing to do with it. We ask the court to overturn the appellate ruling and acquit her,” he argued.

A new trial before the Appeal Court will be scheduled soon.