DUBAI 27 April 2017: A man who does not have proper accommodation claimed interest in buying sugar worth US$24 million, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.
On January 30, 57-year-old Palestinian engineer, HS, approached a general trading company seeking to buy sugar for $24m.
The dealer asked him to submit a trade licence to conclude the deal.
The buyer, HS submitted a licence which was expired.
“I told him we cannot finish the deal unless the licence was renewed. HS then, submitted a licence photocopy of another company that carried 2018 expiry date,” testified the complainant MH.
Checking with the Department of Economic Development the complainant found out that the expiry date of the licence was not 2018 but rather 2010, so he lodged a compliant with the police.
Police arrested HS and confronted him with the forgery – he denied knowledge and claimed that someone had sent the licence to him by email.
Asking him to search his accommodation, HS claimed that he stays in his car.
“In his car, we found a photocopy of the licence that carried expiry date of 2010,” testified First Lieutenant Saif Sumait.
The economic department reported that the licence had expired since 2010.
It was found out that HS had a criminal record and that he had overstayed his residence visa since 2010.
The court will give verdict on May 14.
By Lolyana Zaki