UAE | Crime
Money launderer was just another client - manager
The Misdemeanour Court is reviewing charges against a manageress of a local bank who has been accused of aiding money laundering from European countries to the UAE.
- By Bassma Al JandalyStaff Reporter
- Published: 00:04 June 19, 2008
Dubai: The Misdemeanour Court is reviewing charges against a manageress of a local bank who has been accused of aiding money laundering from European countries to the UAE.
The manager, identified as M.O., a Jordanian in her mid 40s who used to work for a local bank in Dubai as a priority banking service manager for more than 15 years, is facing accusations of aiding in money laundering and transferring money from the bank illegally.
The manager, who has been in the UAE for 27 years, was charged with aiding one of her clients identified as O.B., a Dutch man of Indian origin. O.B., a businessman in Dubai, used to import and export frozen food. Nasser Hashim of Al Kamali Advocates, who represents the suspect, said the case was transferred by the Dubai Public Prosecutor to the court on Monday.
Hashim said O.B. is wanted by the Dutch authorities and other European countries and an arrest warrant has been issued for him. He said as part of judicial cooperation between the Netherlands and Dubai police, the Dutch authorities have asked Dubai Police to extradite O.B. because of the money laundering cases against him and other illegal monetary operations through the Netherlands.
There is also an arrest warrant against O.B by Interpol for money laundering through other European countries to India.
Upon this arrest warrant O.B was arrested by Dubai police. He told police that M.O was aiding him in transferring money through the bank illegally.
O.B told police that he paid M.O Dh300,000 and a two-way air ticket to Montreal in addition to other amounts of money to aid him in transferring money.
M.O. has been suspended from the bank until the end of investigations. She has denied the accusations and relations with O.B. She told police and the public prosecutor that O.B. was only one of her clients at the bank. M.O. was released on bail after police seized her passport until the end of the investigations.
The lawyer said M.O. was the manager of the priority banking services at the bank and O.B. was one of her clients. He said there was no proof M.O. had received any money from him for aiding him in money laundering to a European country or helping him in any other illegal transactions through the bank.
The Central Bank stated O.B. was involved in money laundering through the country and it was alerted only when it received the arrest warrant out for him.
M.O.'s lawyer said working in a bank was a very sensitive job because one must deal with cash transactions and people whom employees would have never met before.
O.B. told police that he paid M.O. Dh300,000 and a two-way air ticket to Montreal in addition to other amounts of money to aid him.
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