UAE | Crime
Merchant: I didn't know banknotes were counterfeit
A merchant claimed in court on Sunday that he tried to sell old US dollar banknotes but did not know that they were counterfeit
- By Bassam Za'Za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 16:30 January 23, 2012
- Image Credit: Supplied
- A merchant has told a Dubai Court that he didn't know the US dollars he was selling, were fake. Picture for illustrative purposes only.
Dubai A merchant claimed in court on Sunday that he tried to sell old US dollar banknotes but did not know that they were counterfeit.
Prosecutors accused the 39-year-old Egyptian merchant of possessing $5000 in counterfeited banknotes and tried to sell them for Dh10,000.
Your honor, I swear to God I didn’t know that it was counterfeited… I thought it was old and that’s why I tried to sell them
“No sir I am not guilty. I possessed old dollars but I was not aware that the banknotes were fake,” argued 39-year-old A.F. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
According to the charges sheet, prosecutors charged A.F. with possessing counterfeited currency and attempting to circulate them in the market.
Attempt to swindle
He was additionally charged with attempting to swindle and con Dh10,000 from Dubai Police. Prosecution records said A.F. claimed to a policeman that he intended to sell him the dollars for Dh10,000.
A.F. was also accused of possessing a taser gun without a licence.
A Yemeni policeman testified that an informant alerted them that the Egyptian wanted to sell the dollars.
“The informant informed us that when A.F. failed to change the dollars to dirhams at a money exchange house, he decided to sell them for cheap. We arrested him in sting operation,” the policeman claimed to prosecutors.
During Sunday’s hearing, Presiding Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi asked A.F. whether he possessed counterfeited banknotes.
The merchant, who is on bail, replied: “Your honor, I swear to God I didn’t know that it was counterfeited… I thought it was old and that’s why I tried to sell them”.
The court will hear prosecution witnesses when it reconvenes on February 5.
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