Dubai Court clears man in illegal exports of 17 vehicles

Dubai: A court on Wednesday acquitted a trader of embezzling more than Dh2 million in transferable assets — 17 cars in 17 separate cases, due to unsubstantiated evidence.

The Dubai Court of Misdemeanours cleared the 34-year-old Yemeni of embezzling the vehicles — which records showed had been exported.

Presiding Judge Abdullah Khlaif Abu Zaid acquitted the suspect, E.M., who had pleaded not guilty.

The suspect is still being prosecuted in five similar cases which are pending before the Misdemeanours Court.

E.M.'s lawyer Saeed Al Ghailani argued before Presiding Judge Abu Zaid: "My client is innocent. He didn't embezzle any of the vehicles. The law enforcement officers unlawfully carried out the law enforcement procedures against the suspect. His arrest was void and the investigations were not serious."

The merchant was detained without proper permission from the Dubai Public Prosecution, Al Ghailani told the court.

Forged documents

Dubai prosecutors issued 22 arraignment sheets in which E.M. and an unidentified number of suspects (who are still at large and wanted by the police) were reportedly accused of embezzlement of transferable assets and aiding and abetting others to export the vehicles outside the country.

According to a number of arraignment sheets (some of which were obtained by Gulf News), Public Prosecution records said the cars were exported from the UAE using forged documents.

"During the court proceedings, we cross-examined the law enforcement officer, an Emirati second lieutenant, who arrested and questioned E.M. The second lieutenant confirmed that my client was detained without a prosecutor's permission because he was arrested outside his house.

He also testified that all the cars, whose registration cards were found in my client's possession, were outside the UAE. The witness's unclear answers during the cross-examination hearing confirmed that the law enforcement procedures were illegitimately implemented against E.M," Al Ghailani said.

Smuggled

An Emirati police lieutenant claimed, in his statement to the Public Prosecution: "The cars were smuggled outside the country with forged powers of attorney… an unidentified suspect impersonated a notary public and signed the powers of attorney."

The merchant's advocate also declared that the law enforcement officers arrested his client beyond their geographical jurisdiction. He was detained in Ajman.

"My client did not commit any crime… the real criminal is the person who initially bought the vehicle on a credit basis from a bank before he sold it to E.M. using forged documents and ran away," Al Ghailani said.