Four men in dock for killing businessman in robbery plot

dubai — Four Egyptian men were accused of killing a businessman in a robbery that appeared to have been carefully planned, the Dubai Court of First Instance heard on Sunday.

One of the defendants, a 28-year-old cleaner, had already stolen Dh3,000 from the victim in a previous incident. When the victim learned about the theft, he ended his relationship with the cleaner, records showed.

The cleaner, however, didn’t stop there. In April, he allegedly plotted a bigger crime with the rest of his group. They planned to earn the victim’s trust so they could get inside his hotel apartment, steal his credit card, and withdraw some cash, according to court records.

The second defendant, a 25-year-old, admitted to prosecutors that he agreed to disguise as “a jobseeker who needs a place to stay” so that the victim could take him into his apartment.

The fake jobseeker spoke with the businessman and tried to befriend him. Falling prey to the trap, the businessman led the man into his hotel apartment.

Inside the unit, a physical brawl ensued when the victim noticed that his credit card was being stolen. “[The defendant] then tied him up, but [the victim] begged him to take all the money he wants and leave. When he untied the victim’s restraints, the latter started fighting with him,” the prosecution said.

He struck the victim with a wooden drawer in the head until the latter passed out. He then stole three credit cards, a mobile phone, three watches and some cash before storming out of the room, according to prosecution records.

Forensic records confirmed that the businessman died of a major head injury. Bruises and scratches were also found on his face, neck, hand and stomach.

Footage from the hotel’s CCTV cameras showed the second defendant going into the apartment with the victim and later leaving through the emergency exit.

All along, the third member of the group, a 24-year-old unemployed man, was standing by to see the suspect after the robbery. He confessed to meeting with the alleged robber and throwing the stolen mobile phone and watch into the sea in a bid to cover up their tracks.

An ATM camera captured the duo’s Dh10,000 withdrawal using the stolen credit card. They took the money in two separate incidents, Dh4,000 and Dh6,000.

Alerted of suspicious transactions, the manager of the businessman’s bank called his cousin, who also noticed the victim’s absence on WhatsApp. He then reported the disappearance to the police, which started the investigation, tracked down the suspects and arrested them.

The case has been adjourned to January 8.