Manager’s acquittal in case of threatening fashion consultant upheld
Fashion consultant alleged manager threatened to burn his wife’s face when asked for profits against his investments
Dubai: Prosecutors have lost their appeal against a company manager, who was cleared of threatening to deface a fashion consultant’s wife with acid over a financial disagreement over Dh1.65 million.
The 54-year-old Milan-based Italian fashion consultant claimed that he invested Dh1.65 million with the Iranian manager of a company to trade his money in the fields of oil, gas and stocks in February 2015.
The consultant was reported to have been promised profits within a period of six months but when he called the Iranian manager to check with him on the profit, the latter dodged him.
Following several attempts to inquire about his shares, the Italian accused the Iranian of calling him and threatening to send the Milan mafia to burn the face of his wife.
The fashion expert complained to Dubai Police who summoned the Iranian for questioning.
In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Iranian of verbally threatening to disfigure the face of the fashion consutant with acid due to a lack of corroborated evidence.
Prosecutors appealed the primary ruling before the Appeal Court and sought to have the manager’s acquittal overturned.
Presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm rejected the prosecutors’ appeal.
The Italian fashion consultant’s civil lawsuit was also dismissed. The Iranian renewed his innocent plea before the appellate court.
“I didn’t contact him and I haven’t seen him in two years,” he contended in court.
The Italian alleged that the incident happened after he had paid the Iranian 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. He didn’t respond when I called to check on my profits. I had transferred the money from my Swiss bank account to his bank account in Dubai. The company manager 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 anytime. Then he threatened to send someone to burn my wife’s face with acid in Milan if I ever contacted him or called the police,” the fashion consultant claimed.
The appellate ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 28 days.
