Dubai A woman manager, who worked at DP World, and four managerial executives were handed jail terms for committing financial irregularities amounting to Dh4.85 million over two dubious deals.
The Emirati manager was handed 18 months in jail and fined Dh4.85 million after the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted her of abusing her authority [former department manager at DP World], requesting Dh500,000 in bribe for herself and her Syrian woman colleague from a construction company’s Egyptian manager to help win a tender to construct a villa at Jumeirah Hills.
According to Monday’s ruling, the Emirati was also found guilty of requesting Dh4.35 million in bribe for herself and her Syrian colleague from another construction company’s Jordanian chief executive to help his company win a tender to construct a terminal at a seaport in Dubai.
Reading out Monday’s ruling, presiding judge Urfan Omar sentenced the Syrian woman colleague to one year in jail. The Jordanian executive was sentenced to a year in jail and fined Dh4.35 million.
A Lebanese manager was handed three months in jail and the Egyptian manager [of the construction company] was handed a one-year imprisonment and fined Dh500,000 for their involvement in the financial irregularities.
According to Monday’s ruling, the four expatriate defendants will be deported and all the money paid as bribe will be confiscated by the court.
Records said the Jordanian [in his capacity as a construction company’s chief executive] offered Dh4.35 million in bribe to the Emirati manager, through her Syrian colleague, in order to win the tender of constructing the seaport terminal.
The other construction company’s Egyptian manager also offered Dh500,000 in bribe to the Emirati, through her colleague, to win the tender of constructing the villa.
The Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian defendants were also said to have forged an agreement, signed between the Jordanian’s company and a technical services company.
According to the agreement, the technical services company would provide consultations and strategic support to the construction company to win the tender to construct the seaport terminal against a six per cent commission of Dh72.5 million [the total cost of the project].
Prosecutors also accused the Emirati, Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian defendants of committing a money laundering crime worth Dh2.17 million.
The financial irregularities happened between January 2012 and March 2014, said records.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty and refuted all the charges.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
