Jobless Arab’s jail term reduced to six months

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Court of Appeal ruled that a two-year sentence issued against an unemployed Arab be commuted to six months. The court upheld a fine of Dhs120,000 and deportation after serving his sentence.

The defendant was convicted of forging 27 entry permits and embezzling Dhs120,000 from the owner of a recruitment office in his home country.

The case dates back to a complaint filed by an Arab visitor in which he stated that he was a victim of fraud by an Arab UAE resident. The visitor stated in the investigations that he was the owner of a recruitment company and communicated with a man in 2017 for the provision of work permits in Dubai, adding that the latter agreed with him to provide work visas against Dhs4,000 each and was provided with passport copies of 100 people.

The complainant said the defendant told him one week after 27 per cent had been submitted that they were all approved and asked for Dhs50,000. Later, the defendant began to procrastinate in handing the entry permits and demanded the remaining amount agreed on to be paid, the complainant said.

After receiving the full amount, the defendant began to procrastinate again before he eventually handed the work permits over to the complainant.

When one of the beneficiaries of the work permits travelled to the UAE, the authorities discovered that his entry permit was forged.