DUBAI // A British investor who is appealing a seven-year sentence for three counts of issuing bad cheques dramatically dismissed his defence team in court yesterday.
SQ appeared at the Dubai Court of Appeals on a charge of dishonouring a Dh179 million cheque to a Dubai-based trading company.
SQ denied the charge before Presiding Judge Adnan al Farra. He said he had presented the cheque as security to an investor he represented in a property deal at The World islands project.
In a surprise move, the defendant then asked for the dismissal of his legal representation. "I would like to submit my own defence," SQ told the court.
Advocate Mariam al Falasi, from law firm Hussain Lootah & Associates, told the court her firm had not been notified of any dismissal and presented her power of attorney letter to the court.
"We are ready to submit our defence. We were not told by the client of his dismissal," she said.
The businessman claimed he had never seen Ms al Falasi before. "I don't know who this woman is," he said. "I do not want to be represented by this firm, they have never come to see me once."
The court ruled in favour of the defendant's motion, and Judge al Farra said SQ could defend himself on the grounds of a court dismissal.
In his defence, SQ said the case was filed against him maliciously. He presented contracts and documents that he said supported his claim the cheque was a security cheque used in a finalised deal.
"I am an agent. I presented the cheque to the buyer as a security cheque to transfer the amount on to my account so I could pay it to the seller," SQ said.
"These documents show the money was placed in my account and transferred to the seller's account."
According to SQ, the trading company filed a case against him a year after they had appropriated the land.
Prosecution records show the case was filed against SQ on November 2 last year.
SQ was charged by prosecutors on January 21 and appeared in court on February 2. On May 31, the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours sentenced him to three years in prison.
SQ is appealing two additional cases in which he faces a three-year and a one-year sentence issued earlier this year.
The court will issue its verdict on August 16.
@Email:amustafa@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
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Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded