Dubai saleswoman denies forging utility bill to defraud employer

Dubai: A saleswoman has refuted the charges of forgery and breach of trust to defraud her employer of more than Dh100,000, a court heard on Monday.

"No I am not guilty and I didn't commit a forgery," argued the 26-year-old Filipina when she defended herself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Prosecutors charged the defendant, E.M., with tampering the dates on a Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) bill and using the forged bill to swindle her Dutch employer.

According to the arraignment sheet, E.M. was charged with tampering the dates on a Dewa bill and tricking her employer, S.R., into believing that she had paid the telephone and electricity bills of October instead of November.

She was additionally charged with breach of trust and swindling more than Dh100,000 from her boss.

Advocate Saeed Al Ghailani, representing S.R. in civil right, said his client is seeking Dh21,000 in temporary compensation for financial and moral damages.

"No… I didn't do that," argued the Filipina when she pleaded her case before Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad.

The Dutch sponsor testified that the suspect had breached her trust and swindled from the shop where the latter worked as sales supervisor.

"E.M. used to supervise the shop during my absence. She was assigned to collect the revenues and put them in the register. I also used to give her cash to pay the Dewa bills. After we discovered her embezzlement and swindling, she signed a written confession admitting that she misappropriated more than Dh100,000," claimed S.R. in her statement.