Abu Dhabi // The head of insurance operations for the emirate's electricity and water regulator embezzled nearly Dh300 million by accepting bribes to award contracts to insurance companies, including her own, a court heard yesterday.
Five people - three Jordanian men, AI, MI and MMI; an Emirati woman, MGH; and an Egyptian man, TZ - appeared before the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance charged with corruption-related offences.
MGH was identified in court as the head of the insurance department for Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). She was charged with forgery and acquiring illicit profits for herself and others. Her job is key to her ability to commit the offences of which she is accused.
Prosecutors say she awarded contracts worth Dh297 million to her private company and other insurance companies over a period of 10 years. A representative from ADWEA asked for Dh200,000 in initial damages from the five in the dock and three companies that won contracts.
During investigations, according to lawyers, prosecutors found MGH had Dh100 million in her bank accounts. They ordered a freeze on her assets, and those of MMI. MMI's assets were also frozen in Jordan through Interpol, the court heard.
MGH told prosecutors she had been authorised by Sheikh Diab bin Zayed, the authority's chairman, to include her company among those eligible for contracts. She said she never used her influence to award herself any contracts.
"Did you, in your capacity as an employee at Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, acquire unlawful profits, for you and other people?" Chief Justice Saeed Abdul Baseer asked her. She answered no.
She also pleaded not guilty to charges of awarding contracts in exchange for high commissions, and of forging an insurance letter.
MMI, who held a senior position at ADWEA for 10 years, was accused of conspiring with MGH in forging the insurance letter. He pleaded not guilty to forgery charges. The three others were accused of acquiring illicit profits, which they denied.
MGH and MMI have been in prison since November 7. The others are on bail. MGH's four lawyers asked that she be released on bail to allow her to present a better defence, as they said she had documents in her home that could help her case. MMI's lawyer told the court that his client was "by no means worse than the others" and should also be freed on bail.
"I have no clue why the Public Prosecution have locked up my client in prison without evidence," Abdulraouf Abdulqader told the court. "He should be treated as innocent until proven guilty; that is not the case here."
The court made no decision on the bail applications and MGH and MMI remain in custody.
Nine lawyers appeared for the defence, including Sameh Ashour, former chairman of the Egyptian Bar Association, who travelled from Egypt to represent MGH. The case was filed by the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority. Its representatives declined to say how they found out about the alleged offences.
Defence asked the court to ban media reporting because it was a "case of public interest". Chief Justice Saeed Abdul Baseer rejected the request and said media outlets were entitled to report anything that took place inside the court. "Because it is a case of public interest, the public should be allowed to know about it," the chief justice told the lawyer.
Four witnesses attended the hearing yesterday but could not give evidence until lawyers studied the case, which was continued until January 30.
hhassan@thenational.ae
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.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
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Honeymoonish
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
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Book%20Details
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QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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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
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
