Dubai: An advocate and a manager have been accused of attempting to swindle $100 million (Dh367 million) from a bank using a forged cheque that they claimed to have obtained from an Asian president’s daughter to set up an autism hospital in Dubai.
The Bulgarian advocate and the Russian female manager were said to have submitted the $100 million managers’ cheque to the local bank in August 2013 before they were informed a week later that it was forged.
Prosecutors accused the advocate and the manager of forging the cheque and attempting to swindle the bank to the tune of $100 million using the forged document.
The Bulgarian and the Russian suspects strongly refuted their accusations and contended that the cheque was not forged when they defended themselves before the Dubai Misdemeanours Court.
The advocate’s lawyer argued before the court: “The original copy of the cheque was not submitted to the bank, but it was a photocopy. The photocopy was submitted to the bank to enquire whether the cheque could be cashed or not. My client admitted that the cheque was his and he took it from the president’s daughter to set up the autism hospital. The suspects did not commit a crime and no damages were inflicted on the bank.”
Meanwhile, the manager’s lawyer argued in court: “My client took the cheque from the advocate [Bulgarian suspect] and she did not know that it was forged. Had she known that it was forged, then she wouldn’t have gone to the bank to start the process of cashing it and starting the charity project [hospital].”
Records said the Russian woman manages a company in Sharjah, and after she met the Bulgarian advocate they agreed to deposit the cheque’s amount in her company’s account.
The bank’s security officer testified to prosecutors that the Russian woman visited their branch on Shaikh Zayed Road and handed them the cheque.
“Due to its high amount and as part of security and banking procedures we contacted the issuing bank and notified them about the cheque. A week later, we were informed that the cheque was faulty… so we suspended the process of cashing the cheque. Thereafter we reported the matter to the police that asked us to call the woman and tell her to come to the bank to collect the cheque… then she was arrested,” the security officer claimed.
The Russian suspect claimed to the police that the Bulgarian gave her the cheque to deposit in her company’s account as part of an agreement to set up the autism hospital, said records.
When questioned by prosecutors, the advocate strongly denied the claims that the cheque was forged.
“I made an agreement with the Russian after she informed me that her company was connected to several developers and constructors who could help build the hospital. When we enquired about the process to cash the cheque, the bank requested the original copy. The manager told the bank that there were still some incomplete documents pertaining to the cheque. I had an agreement with the Russian before giving her the cheque… her company was supposed to manage the charity project [hospital]. The issuing bank informed the local bank that the cheque was forged because the president’s daughter has a secret account… the cheque is not forged,” the advocate testified to prosecutors.
The Russian contended before prosecutors that the Bulgarian contacted the issuing bank in the Asian country and he was told the cheque was original.
The court did not hand out a ruling and requested prosecutors to provide it with the original cheque when it reconvenes later in August.
The presiding judge also said the court will contact the issuing bank [in Asia] and enquire whether the cheque is original before handing down a ruling.
