Man swindles phones, laptops worth Dhs501,000

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A realty company employee forged documents to swindle Dhs501,553 electronic devices from a supplier. He has been referred to the Dubai Criminal Court.

The Asian defendant, 29, worked at a realty company as its purchase coordinator tasked with ordering supplies, materials and services required by the company’s managements and sections, prosecutors explained to the jury.

He abused his fiduciary duties of securing the company’s money and interests. He illicitly ordered for 107 electronic devices comprising mobile phones, laptops and accessories worth Dhs501,553.50 from an electronics supplier. He misused the workplace email to contact the electronics supplier. He faked four purchase orders analogous to those issued by his workplace’s e-system. On them he noted that payments would be effected after one month.

He opened up a fictitious email address attributed to a ghost employee allegedly working at the realty company as an official in its finance department. He used this email to send purchase orders to the electronics supplier.

The electronics supplier sent its business transactions account to the defendant’s workplace email. He printed it out, signed it and stamped it twice using the company’s stamp then sent it back to the electronics supplier. The devices were readied. He corresponded with the supplier’s employees, went there and picked up the devices after signing a receipt that he stamped using the realty company’s stamp. This happened in February.

Prosecutors accuse him of forgery, use of forged electronic documents, misusing the realty company’s stamp and embezzlement. They demand the court to hand him a tough penalty. The hearing continues on June 30. During prosecution interrogations, he acknowledged the incident. He admitted that he was on duty between Feb.4 and Feb.19 when he ordered for iPhone and Samsung smartphones, headphones, cameras and 50 laptops.

He reportedly said, “The realty company was not aware. I used its email address to contact the electronics supplier. I obtained devices worth Dhs480,000. The incident came to light after the supplier sent a receipt to the company.”