Dubai: A salesman and a saleswoman employed with a leading telecom service provider have been accused of forging papers and bills for the same post-paid data bundle to get a Dh25 incentive promised to high-performing staff.

The internal audit department of the company was said to have discovered that a single reference number had been used more than once by staff and activated for more than one client in May. The investigation by the firm, du, revealed that a 32-year-old Filipina sales supervisor and her 34-year-old colleague, also a Filipino, had illegally used the personal papers of one of their countrymen and produced faulty bills for the same post-paid number.

The two Filipino staff had intended to use the forged papers and documents, according to records, as proof of high productivity at work to justify an increase in sales and get a Dh25 incentive.

The matter was reported to police and the two staffers were apprehended.

Prosecutors charged the two suspects of forging documents and using them by submitting them to du. The suspects pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday.

A du officer told prosecutors that the forgery was discovered following an internal audit operation. “We double checked on the submitted papers and it was discovered that the suspects had forged papers in which the same reference number belonged to the same post-paid data package. Du normally requires its clients, who subscribe to such packages, to submit a post-paid phone bill, Dewa bill or credit card details to obtain a phone and a data bundle. The suspects abused the authority granted to them in the sales department, accessed du’s e-system, forged papers of two post-paid data packages subscribers … they did so to pretend that their sales had increased to benefit from a Dh25/monthly incentive per sold package. Upon confronting the suspects, they signed a written confession … then they were suspended from work and reported to the police,” the officer testified.

A ruling will be heard on March 26.