UAE | Crime
Dubai court sentences former minister and his managers to two years in jail
A former minister and two managers will each spend two years in jail and face the prospect of a Dh500-million compensation payout to a Lebanese businesswoman whom they defrauded, a court ruled on Monday.
- By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 09:19 February 23, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
- A Dubai court acquitted the former minister's son due to lack of evidence and ordered the expatriate managers to be deported after serving the prison term.
Dubai: A former minister and two managers will each spend two years in jail and face the prospect of a Dh500-million compensation payout to a Lebanese businesswoman whom they defrauded, a court ruled on Monday.
The Dubai Court of Misdemeanours sentenced the former minister K.F., American general manager S.A. and Indian financial manager P.M. to two years in jail after finding them guilty of deceiving the businesswoman, M.J., and misleading her into waiving her brother H.J.'s stake and partnership in the company (in her capacity as a successor).
Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad, who pronounced the verdict, referred M.J.'s civil compensation claim of Dh500 million to the Dubai Civil Court.
K.F.'s son, M.F., has been acquitted of any involvement in the case for want of corroborated evidence.
The ex-minister's lawyers, Samir Jaafar and Dr Hussain Al Jaziri, and the managers' lawyer, Abdul Moneim Bin Suwaidan, told Gulf News that they intended to appeal the verdict soon.
Dubai's Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan said the suspects had been convicted in accordance with Article 399 of the Federal Penal Code. "The convicts and the Public Prosecution have the right to appeal the initial verdict within 15 days. The Public Prosecution was swift in the litigation process and referring this case to court hence showing that we are always keen to speed up our litigation process, enforcing [the] law and offering justice without discrimination stemming from the fact that [the] law is above all."
The businesswoman's legal representative, Essam Al Tamimi and Co Advocates and Legal Consultants, lodged the civil lawsuit that has sought financial and emotional compensation for their client in lieu of incurred losses.
Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad however acquitted K.F. of breach of trust and unlawfully obtaining a property which he used to share with H.J. for failing to inform M.J. about its existence. The managers were also acquitted of aiding and abetting the 51-year-old Emirati of the crime.
K.F., who was not a minister at the time of the incident, had earlier denied that he had deceived the plaintiff by fraudulently appropriating her Dh1.82 million property.
M.J. inherited the property from her late brother, who had been K.F.'s business partner.
"It didn't happen," K.F. said when he defended himself before the court last September.
According to the Public Prosecution's list of charges, the deceit played out between May 2, 2005, and May 27, 2008, during which time the 51-year-old sponsored an information technology company (49 per cent of which belonged to H.J.).
S.A. was the company's general manager and P.M. was its financial manager.
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