Dubai Courts issue stiff penalties of Dh15m and imprisonment as deterrent against money laundering

Dubai: Courts in Dubai continue to set strong deterrents against money laundering, with fine totalling Dh15 million plus and issuing prison terms ranging between nine months to eight years. There have also been confiscations of perpetrator assets totalling Dh306,000.

In one case, the Criminal Court sentenced a defendant to three years imprisonment for the charge imposed on him as well as a fine of Dh14.76 million. According to Counselor Ismail Ali Madani, Senior Advocate-General - Head of Public Funds Prosecution, the defendant committed money laundering by transferring, using and concealing the truth of the proceeds, the location of its origin as well as the manner of its disposition.

The Dh14.76 million amount was obtained by appropriating public funds related to proceeds from a number of damaged replacement cards that were misappropriated from the branch of a company specialised in communications where the defendant worked as a sales executive.

Jail and deportation

In another case, the Criminal Court sentenced four defendants to imprisonment ranging from three months to three years, deportation, and payment of an amount equivalent to Dh210,000. A fifth defendant was fined Dh300,000. Counselor Ismail Madani stated that the defendants misappropriated an amount of Dh2.5 million belonging to a foreigner.

In another case that reflects efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, the Dubai Misdemeanours Court sentenced a defendant in absentia and another three defendants in person to six months imprisonment for the charge of fraud, one year imprisonment for money laundering, confiscation of any funds owned by the three defendants equivalent to a total amount of Dh96,000, and their deportation. (Three other defendants were acquitted.)