Investor duped in Dh380,000 hotel lease fraud in Dubai; court convicts duo

Dubai: A Dubai misdemeanours court has sentenced an Asian man to one year in prison and imposed the same sentence in absentia on his Arab partner after finding them guilty of defrauding an Arab investor with a forged hotel lease.

The two were also fined Dh210,000 jointly, ordered to forfeit the falsified documents, and will be deported after serving their sentences.

The case began when the investor lodged a police complaint, saying he was persuaded to lease an entire floor of a Dubai hotel for Dh380,000.

Court documents show the Asian defendant posed as a hotel official while his accomplice presented himself as a real estate broker. Together, they convinced the investor to pay Dh210,000 upfront along with a post-dated cheque for the balance.

The investor testified that he was told to leave the cheque’s beneficiary name blank. The first defendant assured him that the details would later be entered into the hotel’s system once the contract was finalised. He was also promised the floor would be ready within 10 to 20 days after maintenance.

Three days later, a friend advised the investor to verify the deal. When he approached hotel management, officials confirmed the lease was fake.

Investigators learned the Asian defendant had exploited a family link to one of the hotel’s stakeholders to gain credibility. Dubai Police arrested him soon after. He admitted to the fraud and implicated his Arab partner, claiming the money was handed to a third, unidentified figure who planned the scam.

After reviewing forged contracts, the investor’s testimony, and the defendant’s confession, the court convicted both men of fraud and forgery. In addition to jail terms, fines, and deportation, judges ordered all falsified contracts seized and destroyed.