Dubai receptionist embezzles Dh48,000 to face financial crisis

Dubai: A receptionist has admitted that he abused his work at Dubai Public Prosecution’s (DPP) front desk and embezzled Dh48,000, an amount which he should have deposited in the treasury.

The 38-year-old Iranian receptionist, M.A., was said to have pocketed the money from a Syrian man, who went to deposit that amount in DPP’s treasury for his involvement in bounce cheque case.

Prosecution records said the Syrian, A.M., paid the money to M.A. so the latter could deposit it in the treasury as it was part of his job.

According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors said the defendant abused his public tasks and embezzled the money rather than depositing it in DPP’s treasury.

The suspect pleaded guilty and admitted that he embezzled the money when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

“I am guilty. I repaid the money,” M.A. told presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi.

The Syrian man testified that he was convicted of signing a bounce cheque and he went to the DPP to pay the Dh48,000 so he could be pardoned and have the case dropped.

“I gave the money to M.A. on January 2. He printed for me a copy of a deposit receipt then asked me to revisit DPP on January 13 to confirm that the case was dropped. I visited him several times but he repeatedly avoided me. Later I was told that my application was turned down and that the money had not been deposited,” the Syrian claimed to prosecutors.

An Emirati DPP section head testified: “When we confronted the defendant, he admitted that he pocketed the money because the devil seduced him when he faced a financial difficulty.”

Meanwhile the Iranian was cited confessing that he took the money home with him and had decided to deposit them in the treasury the next day.

He claimed that in the afternoon he face a financial crisis with his family and was forced to take the money.

Records said he paid back the money that was deposited in the treasury before A.M.’s cheque case was dismissed.

Presiding judge Al Mahdi adjourned the case until M.A.’s lawyer present her defence on May 19.