In Dubai, a Criminal Misdemeanour Court sentenced an Asian man to a year in prison, with his Arab accomplice also receiving the same sentence in absentia, for defrauding an Arab investor of Dh210,000 using a forged hotel lease contract.
The court also mandated that they jointly pay a fine of Dh210,000 and ordered their deportation after serving their sentences. Case records show the investor was deceived by the duo, who posed as a hotel manager and a real estate broker.
They convinced him to rent an entire floor in a Dubai hotel for Dh380,000. The victim paid Dh210,000 upfront and issued a deferred cheque for the balance. Investigations revealed the first defendant asked the investor to leave the cheque’s beneficiary name blank, promising to add the details later after hotel approval. He assured the investor that the floor would be ready within 10 to 20 days post-renovation.
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Three days later, the investor’s friend advised him to verify the lease with the hotel. Upon presenting the contract, the hotel’s management confirmed it was forged. A staff member noted the defendant used family connections with one of the hotel’s investors to gain trust.
Police were notified, and the Asian suspect was arrested. He confessed to orchestrating the fraud with the Arab accomplice, stating the swindled funds were handed to a third party who devised the scam.
