Dubai: A salesman has been accused of using a stylographic pen to forge the expiration date of a season parking ticket issued by the Roads and Transport Authority [RTA] to avoid paying parking fees.

An RTA parking inspector inspecting a paid parking zone in Al Barsha reported the incident to higher-ups after coming across a seasonal parking ticket with a two-year validity placed on a car’s dashboard.

According to records, the inspector called up his supervisor because he had his doubts about the validity of the ticket, since the RTA issues season tickets for 3, 6 and 12 months, and not 24 months as was shown on the ticket in question.

The incident happened in September 2016.

When informed by his supervisor that the ticket’s validity was until 2015, the inspector issued a fine on the car and called up the police to check whether the ticket had been forged.

In the meantime, the 35-year-old Indian salesman walked up to his vehicle and removed the ticket and tried to erase the tampered portion showing the expiration date.

Prosecutors accused the salesman of using a stylographic pen to forge the expiration date on the seasonal parking to reflect 2016 instead of 2015.

The suspect did not show up before the Dubai Court of first Instance where he was scheduled to enter his plea on Thursday.

The inspector testified to prosecutors that he doubted the authenticity of the seasonal ticket once he read that it had been issued in 2014.

“Such RTA tickets are issued with a one-year maximum validity. When my supervisor at work notified me that the ticket’s number was showing on the RTA system that it had been valid until 2015, I realised that it was forged. Immediately I issued a ticket and posted on the windshield … then I called the police. A police patrol came to the scene and they summoned the suspect. When I asked him why he had tampered with the dates, he avoided answering me. He seemed perplexed and hesitant; he tried to erase the obvious writing on the ticket. Police took him into custody,” the inspector told prosecutors.

The court reconvenes on April 10.