21 on trial for embezzling Dh3 million

ras al khaimah — The Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court of Appeals started hearing a case in which 21 residents of different nationalities are charged with embezzling over Dh3 million.

According to court records, the accused illegally used 154 Rahal fuel filling cards of an institution in RAK, and forged ereceipts to cover their crime.

The lower court had earlier found the first accused guilty of using the cards for buying fuel deducting the value of the same from the e-system in collaboration with other suspects.

The RAK Criminal Court ordered the first defendant to serve five years in jail, return the embezzled money, and pay a fine of an equal amount.

The remaining 20 suspects, who denied the accusations, were sentenced to three months each in jail for embezzling public funds and forgery. Dissatisfied with the ruling, the accused challenged it in higher court where the lawyer of the first defendant requested the court to refer the forged documents to the criminal forensic lab of the Dubai Police for further examination and verification.

Further, the lawyer said the lower court based its verdict on the testimony of the prosecution witnesses, and requested for an accountancy expert to ensure the amount embezzled.

The defence lawyer of four other suspects said the entire allegations are baseless. “The prosecution witness affirmed, in his statement, that the old and expired fuel cards cannot be reused without being renewed by the claimant institution.”

Some of the witnesses have also affirmed that the first suspect sent a text message to the petroleum company in agreement with the institution to cancel the fuel filling cards, he added.

“However, the court did not make sure that he sent a text message and cancelled the cards,” he said, requesting the exoneration of his clients.

The defence lawyer of the 14th suspect told the court that his client, who used to work with the fuel company, had left works before the crime, and there was no single evidence against him. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com