Two jailed for taking Dh300k in bribe

abu dhabi — Two employees of an energy company have been sentenced to five years each in jail for leaking important tender information of their company in exchange of Dh300,000 bribe.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance handed down the sentences to the Emirati man and an Arab national, who was tried in absentia because he’s out of the country, after they were found guilty of taking bribes and breaching their duties. The men were also ordered to pay a fine, which is equivalent to the bribe amount they took.

Court documents stated that the police had arrested the employees after they received information about the crime.

Prosecutors said the Emirati man was also photographed as he received the cash from the representative of the company. Records of phone calls showing the man’s involvement in leaking information in exchange for a bribe were also presented. The Emirati man, who was also the deputy director of the department, denied the charges throughout his trial.

He told the court that he was a long-time employee of the company and was earning a salary of Dh160,000 monthly. He was also expecting about Dh4 million in his end of service benefits and so he couldn’t see himself engaging in things like accepting petty bribes.

The Emirati said that three days before he was accused of taking a bribe, a partner in the company left an envelope with cash on his car’s dashboard. “I told him I don’t take cash gifts from people or companies. I had to throw the envelope back to him,” the man told the court.

He said he was shocked when he was later charged with taking a bribe from the company. His lawyer argued that the man was innocent and asked the court to acquit him of the bribery charge.