Dubai: A visitor has been accused of forcing his way into a villa with two others and stealing Dh3.23 million in cash, jewellery and other valuables, heard a court on Wednesday.
An Indian businessman was outside the country when his employee called him up and informed him about a theft in his villa at Palm Jumeirah. The thieves took away electronics, jewellery and other valuables in August.
Preliminary investigation revealed the involvement of three Chinese visitors who used hard tools for the break-in before police apprehended one of them, a 38-year-old, while the other two fled the country.
Prosecutors accused the suspect and the two fugitives of using a crowbar and a screwdriver to break into the villa and stealing cash and items worth more than Dh3.23 million.
According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors said the arrested suspect and his two countrymen stole 22 wristwatches worth Dh1.4 million, Dh300,000 worth of diamond and gold items, Dh35,000 worth of valuable pens and Dh1.5 million in cash.
The suspect pleaded not guilty and denied being a part of the gang that burgled the villa when he appeared in the Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday.
He presented a written defence in which he asked presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi to acquit him.
The businessman claimed to prosecutors that he was in his hometown when his employee phoned him and notified him about the heist.
He also mentioned that the culprits broke the CCTV cameras and broke open two safes that were in his bedroom.
A policeman testified to prosecutors: “When we arrested the suspect, he claimed that he and his countrymen took a taxi and headed to Palm Jumeirah. Then the runaway suspects jumped over the villa fence and broke open the door … then they entered the house and stole the cash and valuables from the bedroom. He alleged also that his share in the heist was Dh100,000 … he said he wired some money to his family and sent the rest in cash with the two fugitives.”
A ruling will be heard on July 25.
