Clerk loses appeal in Dh1m bank fraud case

Aclerk lost his appeal and will spend three years in jail for forging an Emirates ID and using it with another culprit to defraud a local bank of Dh1 million in cash and credit cards.

In April, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the Pakistani clerk and his countryman visitor of forging the Emirates ID and using it to apply for loans and credit cards to defraud the bank. They were sentenced to three years in jail followed by deportation.

The 22-year-old clerk appealed the primary ruling and pleaded not guilty before the Appeal Court.

Presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm rejected the defendant’s appeal and upheld his three-year imprisonment.

Before the appellate court, the clerk contended that it was the other convict who forged the papers and embezzled the bank’s money.

Records said the convicted visitor embezzled Dh480,000 and the clerk around Dh490,000, both in the form of separate bank loans and credit cards.