Dubai: A company manager has been cleared of threatening to disfigure the face of a fashion consultant’s wife with acid over a financial disagreement of Dh1.65 million.

The 54-year-old Milano-based Italian fashion consultant alleged that he invested Dh1.65 million with the Iranian manager of a general trading company to trade his money in the fields of oil, gas and stocks in February 2015.

The fashion consultant was reported to have been promised profits within a period of six months but when he called the Iranian manager to check with him on any profit, the latter dodged him.

Following several attempts to inquire about his shares, the Italian claims to have been called by the Iranian who threatened to send someone to Milano and burn the face of the Italian man’s wife.

The fashion consultant complained to Dubai Police who summoned the Iranian man for questioning.

On Tuesday, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Iranian of verbally threatening to disfigure the wife’s face with acid due to lack of corroborated evidence.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal also dismissed the fashion consultant’s civil lawsuit and ordered the claimant to pay lawyer’s and court fees.

The suspect pleaded not guilty.

“I didn’t contact him and I haven’t seen him in two years,” the Iranian told the court.

The Italian alleged to prosecutors that the incident happened after he had paid the Iranian money for investment purposes.

“I paid him $130,000 and €269,000 to invest them in oil, gas and stocks … he had promised me profits within six months. When I called him up to check on my profits, he didn’t respond. I had transferred the money from my bank account in Switzerland to his bank account in Dubai. The company manager told me over the phone to stop calling him or bothering him. Then I asked him to return my money otherwise I would report him to the police. Thereafter, he told me that he doesn’t care or mind any criminal complaint and that he has several passports and could leave the UAE at any time. Then he threatened to send someone to burn my wife’s face with acid in Milano if I ever contacted him or called the police,” the fashion consultant alleged.

The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.