DUBAI // A businessman was in court on Wednesday for allegedly defrauding an Emirati out of Dh2.5 million.
Prosecutors said trader M A, 46, sealed a deal with the Indian defendant, F S, 37, in March last year to buy second-hand pipes and pumps worth Dh10m.
“I paid him Dh2.5m with a cheque and I was to pay him the balance after the delivery, but he failed to deliver and the deal was cancelled. I asked him to repay me the money,” said the Emirati.
“He did not and brought a woman with him he claimed to be his wife, who signed a letter of acknowledgment that F S had taken the money and will repay soon.”
Later, after deciding to take legal action against the Indian, the accused presented documents stating that the cheque given to him was an upfront payment from a total of Dh20m to come from the Emirati for allegedly renting a building from the defendant.
“These documents are forgeries and the cheque was for the business deal, which we cancelled,” said the Emirati.
The Indian was referred to prosecutors, who charged him with forging a leasing contract, forging a rental letter in which he stated M A had rented a building from him in return for Dh20m, and forging an undertaking that the information in the documents was true.
He was also charged with using the forged documents.
Prosecutors said he had forged the documents by amending the information in them and by adding his signature.
The Indian denied the charges in court and said a man named Mohammed had provided him with the documents.
The next hearing will be on December 6.
salamir@thenational.ae
