Man jailed for setting office on fire in Dubai

Dubai: An accountant has been jailed for two years after a court incriminated him of deliberately pouring benzene around his office and setting it alight after embezzling Dh10,000.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the 32-year-old Filipino accountant of arson and jailed him for two years.

Pronouncing Tuesday's judgment, Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout said the accused will be deported after completing his jail term.

Charge

The accused has also been referred to the Dubai Misdemeanors Court where he will be prosecuted for embezzling Dh10,000 from the office where he used to work before this incident.

A British woman, who manages the office which the accused set on fire, testified that she suspected the Filipino had started the fire because he was a rowdy and troublesome and was frequently absent from work.

"I saw the fire had gutted my office and the defendant's office, which are both in the basement and I instantly suspected the defendant because he had a temper problem and was always absent from work," the 52-year-old Briton claimed in her statement to the Public Prosecution.

"During the period in which he worked for the company, he reportedly embezzled Dh10,000," she said.

The defendant, D.H., earlier appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.

The Public Prosecution charged D.H. with deliberate fire for allegedly pouring benzene around the office of his manager, the British woman, and setting it on fire. He was also charged with embezzling Dh10,000.

The female manager testified: "One of the salesmen phoned me on the day of the incident and he informed me that the company was on fire. I rushed to the office in Garhoud and saw the fire gutting the offices."

Testimony

A 45-year-old Indian saleswoman testified that when she arrived at work on that day she saw the flames.

"I concluded that the defendant started the fire because he hadn't come to work," she claimed.

According to the arraignment sheet, investigators discovered that the company's safe, which contained money and passports, had been tampered with.

The initial verdict is still subject to appeal within 15 days.