Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A businessman and his compatriot colleague who forged paperwork to swindle three cameras have won a judicial pardon at the Dubai Appeals Court

The Asian businessman, 44, and colleague, 45, found a wallet a Pakistani builder lost in Eyal Nasser area. They made use of his Emirates ID data to forge paperwork. The businessman impersonated him. They forged a passport copy, visa voucher and a security cheque attributed to a general trading company. They showed them to a rental company and obtained cameras and accessories worth Dhs70,000.

The businessman showed the builder’s ID while receiving the cameras. He signed a receipt and a rent document. His colleague abetted this. During Dubai Criminal Court questioning, they denied the charges. The businessman presented a memo. The colleague contended that he was in in detention over a cheque case by then. “I was detained on July 22, 2018,” he said and provided the cheque case number.

The Dubai Criminal Court jailed them for one year plus deportation. They appealed the ruling. The Dubai Appeals Court’s jury has declared all charges against them as expired due to the judicial pardon.

In police and prosecution records, the audiovisual equipment rental company’s Indian manager said both contacted via email and applied to rent Sony cameras and accessories for two days at Dhs1,700.

A Filipino driver delivered them to the location in Nahda-2 area decided by one of the applicants who identified himself with the builder’s names. “I met him. He handed me Dhs1,700 and a security cheque.

“The cheque was already signed. He showed me his ID. I read its data and returned it to him. His appearance differed from the photo on the ID. I asked him about it. He told me he was thin but became fat later.

“I photographed him (as a precautionary measure) and sent his photo to my workplace,” said the Filipino. “He signed a receipt and a document containing terms and conditions of renting the cameras.”

The manager said the duo did not return them. “They switched their phones off. The cheque bounced due to discrepancies in the signature. We checked on the trading company. It was shut six months ago.”

The builder said, “I was a maintenance company employee. I never worked at the trading company. I lost my wallet that contained my ID.” The businessman confessed to have impersonated the builder.

During an identity parade, the Filipino identified the businessman as the person who posed as an employee from the trading company and showed him a business card. Records alleged both men were repeat offenders.