Dubai

A company manager has been accused of threatening to burn the face of a fashion consultant’s wife with acid over a financial disagreement of Dh1.65 million, heard a court on Tuesday.

The 54-year-old Italian fashion consultant, who is based in Milano, was said to have invested Dh1.65 million with the Iranian manager of a general trading company to trade his money in the fields of oil, gas and stocks in February 2015.

The fashion consultant was alleged to have been promised profits with a period of six months, according to records, but when called the Iranian manager to check with him on any revenues, the latter dodged him.

Following several attempts to inquire about his shares, the Italian claims to have been called by the Iranian who threatened to send someone to Milano and burn the face of the Italian man’s wife.

The fashion consultant reported the matter to Dubai Police that summoned the Iranian man for questioning.

Prosecutors accused the suspect of verbally threatening to disfigure the wife’s face with acid.

When he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance, the suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted his accusation.

“I never contacted him and I haven’t seen him in two years,” the Iranian told presiding judge Mohammad Jamal on Tuesday.

The Italian testified to prosecutors that the incident happened after he had paid the suspect money for investment purposes.

“I paid him $130,000 and €269,000 to invest them in oil, gas and stocks … he had promised me profits within six months. When I called him up to check on my profits, he didn’t respond. I had transferred the money from my bank account in Switzerland to his bank account in Dubai. When he responded, the suspect told me over the phone to stop calling him or bothering him. Then I asked him to return my money otherwise I would report him to the police. Thereafter, he told me that he doesn’t care or mind any criminal complaint and that he has several passports and could leave the UAE at any time. Then he threatened to send someone to burn my wife’s face with acid in Milano if I ever contacted him or called the police,” the fashion consultant claimed to prosecutors.

The trial continues.