Dubai: A lawyer has accused a woman who once featured on the cover of the adult magazine Playboy of trying to frame his client in a deal to allegedly set up a risque nightclub.

“The 31-year-old German woman was on the cover pages of Playboy magazines. Her work involves pornography and prostitution. When my client, a 35-year-old Pakistani man, discovered her hidden agenda to promote nudity through the nightclub, he pulled out from the agreement,” advocate Nasser Hashim told the Dubai Misdemeanour Court.

Prosecutors accused the two suspects of forging documents to swindle and embezzle nearly Dh300,000 from an Indian businessman with whom they agreed to enter into a partnership for the nightclub. Both defendants pleaded not guilty and denied the accusations when they appeared in court last week.

Advocate Hashim handed copies of Playboy cover pages allegedly featuring the German woman to the judge to substantiate his claims about her antecedents. “Prosecutors charged my client with forgery, swindling and embezzlement without any substantiated evidence or proof. When the court reads the papers of the case, it will automatically conclude that the charges against my client were fabricated. The woman and the complainant [the businessman] framed my client,” advocate Hashim argued.

The woman’s lawyer also rejected accusations against his client and asked the court to acquit her citing “lack of corroborated evidence”.

Court records said the businessman agreed to enter into a partnership deal with the defendants that entitled him to a share of 80 per cent of the nightclub as against 10 per cent shares for each of his partners.

The two defendants and the businessman also included an Emirati sponsor as a silent partner in the agreement.

The businessman claimed: “The 35-year-old suspect registered his share in his brother’s name. The brother, the woman and I had to sign on transactions pertaining to the joint account that we opened at a local bank. I deposited Dh1.2 million and paid Dh80,000 in commissions for the sponsor. The defendants were each supposed to pay Dh250,000 as their share in the nightclub’s capital. They forged a receipt claiming that they paid Dh300,000 to an Indian manager [who had previously rented the nightclub] to waive his share in it. They also forged another receipt claiming they paid Dh87,000 as broker’s commission. They also forged my signature.”

According to the charges sheet, the suspects forged two receipts and used them to swindle the businessman and embezzle Dh387,000.

Advocate Hashim contended that his client was not involved in forging the receipts or swindling the businessman. “The claimant testified that he collected the receipts from the woman. When my client discovered the woman’s fishy agenda to exploit the nightclub for immoral purposes and to promote pornography, he pulled out from the agreement. She maliciously accused him of raping her and that he is a terrorist who smuggles weapons. My client was unfairly detained nearly 30 days before prosecutors dropped the fabricated allegations against him and released him. She [the Germman woman] is the main culprit in this case. I ask the court to acquit my client,” he argued.

A verdict is expected soon in the case.