Eight men accused of kidnapping accountant, stealing Dh3.67m

Dubai: Eight men have been accused of kidnapping an accountant and stealing Dh3.67 million from him shortly after he withdrew the cash from a money exchange house.

The Pakistani accountant was sent to collect the money transfer, according to his statement, from one of their company’s clients in Iraq when his countrymen stopped him and claimed to be policemen.

The accountant, M.N, alleged that the company’s Turkish owner sent him and his co-worker, M.S,, to bring the money and return to the company.

“We were walking back to the office when a few Pakistani men pulled their car in front of us and they posed as policemen, they showed me handcuffs.

“One of them told me that I was wanted for being involved in an adultery case.

“They forced us into their vehicle and drove off. Later they took us to the top of a building where they handcuffed me and blindfolded me as well. Then they taped my legs, they didn’t do anything to M.S, who also did not defend me.

“They locked me up in a rooftop room and disappeared. They took the money and my wallet that contained Dh600 and a few other personal documents,” M.N. claimed to prosecutors.

According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors identified M.S. as the main culprit.

Prosecutors charged M.S. and other suspects, who remain at large, with impersonating policemen and kidnapping M.N. with deception and by the use of force.

They are also accused of stealing the Dh3.67 million.

M.S., a 26-year-old guardsman, A.K, and the runaway suspects were accused of unlawfully locking the accountant on the top of a building and depriving him of his freedom.

They were said to have beat, blindfolded, gagged, handcuffed and roped his legs with plastic tape. They also stole the company’s money, his wallet and two mobile phones.

Prosecutors also accused six other suspects of possessing the stolen money.

M.S. and A.K. pleaded not guilty and rejected the accusations when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday.

A driver, identified as A.D,, confessed that he possessed the money but claimed he didn’t know that it was stolen.

Meanwhile, another suspect, J.E,, did not show up in court.

The rest of the suspects pleaded innocent.

Prosecution records said the victim remained locked up for nearly two hours on top of the building. He was said to have released the plastic tape from his legs and then freed his mouth and eyes.

“I walked out of the room and went to the edge of the roof. I spotted a man on one of the balconies and asked him for help. Police then came and helped me,” added the accountant.

An Emirati policeman claimed that M.S. was detained shortly after the incident.

“We confiscated with him Dh21,800 from the stolen money. He admitted that he and three or four others carried out the kidnap and heist,” the policeman claimed.

Prosecution records said more than Dh1.45 million was recovered in one bag. Police also recovered other unspecified amounts from the stolen cash.

The next hearing is on October 11.