DUBAI // A 26-year-old man forged ownership certificates for three apartments in Al Barsha then sold them to a man who gave him an upfront payment of Dh123,000, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Monday.
It is alleged that Pakistani supervisor AA forged the ownership documents last year then pretended to be the owner of the flats. When put in touch with the victim, AA took the deposits but then stalled in transferring ownership before he stopped taking calls entirely, prosecutors allege.
However, AA denied charges of forgery and illegally obtaining Dh123,000, telling the presiding judge: “No I didn’t do that, I’m innocent, and there is a waiver from the man in this case.”
Victim MA, 36, who is also from Pakistan, testified that he was interested in buying property in Dubai and that his friend informed him of a man offering apartments for sale.
“I informed my partner, who was in Dubai, to meet with the owner on my behalf and, when he did, the defendant told him that he was selling two flats, one for his mother and one for him,” said MA.
“I then agreed on the sale and price and had my partner pay Dh41,000 as an upfront payment for the first flat and Dh27,000 for the second flat.”
He said that shortly after this happened the defendant called and said he had a third flat to sell. The two agreed a fee and MA paid a Dh55,000 deposit on this flat.
The contracts were signed and but then the defendant went quiet, MA said.
“We then visited the Land Department and found out his ownerships were forged,” said MA, who then called police.
A verdict is due on October 30.
salamir@thenational.ae