Airport clerk stole Dh70,000 in VAT refunds

forged electronic documents on his company’s system, which refunds value added tax (VAT) to travellers at Dubai International Airport. He then deposited the money to his credit cards for his own benefit.

The accused’s responsibility was to receive travellers’ refund documents and use the username and password in the company system to refund money to the travellers.

However, the director of the tax refund company noticed two credit card numbers repeatedly appeared in tax refund transactions for different travellers.

Acting on a complaint

“Some travellers who applied for cash refunds were in a hurry to catch their flights,” said the company director. “The defendant changed their refund transactions from cash to credit card payments and put the refund amount for his benefit into two credit cards.”

The tax refund company received a complaint from a traveller that the refund amount hadn’t been credited to his credit card. “The system showed that he [the defendant] used two credit cards several times for different travellers,” added the director. “He illegally obtained Dh69,311 in tax refunds.”

A verdict will be issued on June 24.