Dubai: Four men have been accused of beating up a businessman after pretending to buy his Dubai Marina-based flat, and robbing his Dh3.15 million.

The Iranian businessman was said to have been contacted by two potential buyers and he agreed to meet them at his flat to show it to them in September.

The two Cameroonian employees, 38 and 33, visited the flat on a scheduled date, according to records, posing as prospective buyers.

According to the records, the businessman was present with his Afghan friend in the flat when they were assaulted and tied up by the two employees and their compatriot visitors, 37 and 42.

The two visitors robbed the bag containing cash and fled.

Shortly after the incident, the businessman and his friend freed themselves and reported the matter to the police.

Police interrogations led to the arrest of the Cameroonian quartet.

Prosecutors charged the four suspects with abetting other suspects in assaulting the businessman and his friend and robbing Dh3.15 million, 2 mobiles and a jacket.

The suspects pleaded not guilty and denied the charges when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

There are other suspects who are still at large.

The Iranian businessman’s lawyer handed presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi a civil lawsuit against the suspects and in which his client is seeking Dh21,000 temporary compensation.

The businessman told prosecutors: “I was planning to sell the flat to the two suspects. They were referred to me through two purported brokers [the other two suspects] … once they came into the flat, they assaulted me and my friend with a cleaver. They beat us and ran away with my money after they had tied us up.”

A police lieutenant testified to prosecutors that the visitors — 42-year-old man and 37-year-old man — reported to the police that they were beaten and robbed by an African gang.

“A police patrol was dispatched to their location where they were found beaten and bleeding. They alleged that they agreed with two Africans to purchase a flat for them but those Africans [suspects aged 38 and 33] and other culprits [who remain at large] double-crossed them and stole the money for themselves and absconded.

"Primary interrogations revealed that those two visitors had been to the Iranian’s flat as part of a swindling and deception case of doubling money illegally.

"They covered up for the part of the doubling-money and just claimed that they had been double-crossed and robbed. Some of the suspects were apprehended in another emirate and part of the money was recovered … some of the suspects remained at large,” he told prosecutors.

The trial continues.