UAE | Crime
Lagoon case report 'is biased'
A lawyer has described the Financial Control Department's report in the corruption case of Lagoon, a project of Sama Dubai, as tenuous and biased.
- By Bassam Za'za' SeniorReporter
- Published: 23:13 June 28, 2009
Dubai: A lawyer has described the Financial Control Department's report in the corruption case of Lagoon, a project of Sama Dubai, as tenuous and biased.
Dr Habib Al Mulla, the lawyer of Lagoons' Emirati former chief executive, asked the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday to annul the financial report which he described baseless and lacked substantiated information.
"When we questioned the person who prepared the report before the court, he testified that he was instructed to look for the financial irregularities which were reportedly committed by my client, A.M., especially. The report which contained unsubstantiated evidence and was incomplete should be annulled because it also failed to understand the circumstances of the case," Dr Al Mulla told Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir.
Meanwhile, lawyers Ali Abdullah Al Shamsi and Hamdi Al Sheewi, who defended former Lagoon sales manager, 41-year-old Emirati M.A., argued that Sama Dubai is a private-sector company.
They defended that M.A. didn't abuse his duties or take Dh4.8 million in bribes against unlawfully selling and reselling Sama Dubai's land.
"The Public Prosecution's arraignment sheet contained inconsistent and contradicting accusations. The prosecutors also failed to present one single concrete and corroborated evidence against my client.
"Reselling the properties earned Sama Dubai profit. He should be pronounced innocent & besides, it's the Dubai Economic Department issued Sama Dubai's trade license and not the Social Services Department," said Al Shamsi.
Moreover advocate, Haroun Tahlak, who defended 23-year-old Emirati former Lagoon sales executive, argued: "The confession was taken from my client, N.Q., under duress. He had no role or involvement in any commission. He also didn't negotiate or discuss any commission."
Lawyer Mohammad Al Redha, who represents 28-year-old suspect, M.S., (who doesn't carry any identification documents), argued in his defence:
"Sama Dubai has no bylaws to prohibit the act of collecting commission in transactions of reselling properties or land. The evidence brought against my client was inconsistent and groundless. The charge sheet also contained inexistent facts. My client didn't request or collect any bribe & he is not guilty."
Lawyer Abdul Muttalib Al Rasheed, who defended 32-year-old Syrian A.H., Damac property development director, argued that his client didn't receive any bribe or violate any law.
"Sama Dubai has no rules or bylaws which ban collecting commissions in deals of reselling lands or properties," he said.
M.A., N.Q. and M.S. earlier refuted charges of taking Dh4.8 million in bribes in return for unlawful sale of Sama Dubai's properties.
M.A. and N.Q. also denied revealing company secrets. They had reportedly provided a competitor with details about their clients, information and prices about the properties owned by Sama Dubai for their own benefit without getting permission from the company.
A.M. denied breach of duty after he allegedly requested five apartments worth Dh2.7 million and Dh200,000 cash from one of his company's clients.
Court ruling: Dh14m misappropriated
A Frenchman faces five years in jail after a court convicted him of abusing his duty as a former executive of Dubai World (DW) and misappropriating Dh14 million worth of purchase orders.
The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the 55-year-old Frenchman, who managed a DW entity, H.J., in absentia and fined him Dh14 million. Pronouncing Sunday's verdict, Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir said H.J., who is at large, will be deported after serving his punishment.
Records quoted an American DW financial manager alleging that the accused confessed in writing that he misappropriated Dh14 million and promised to pay Dh3 million before he fled the country. The Public Prosecution charged H.J. with abusing his public duties and unlawfully pocketing Dh14.122 million from a DW entity he managed.
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