by: Hamza M. Sengendo
A manager accused of asking an employee of a real estate firm to cancel fines worth Dhs3,700,000 in return for a reward of Dhs500,000, denied the charge in court on Sunday.
The Iranian executive manger, WM, 32, allegedly had offered the bribe to WN, 40, a Colombian sales executive of a real estate developing company on June 10. He was arrested in a trap laid for him inside a hotel’s reception in Al Sufouh area at around 11.50am on Jul.30.
The real estate developer had slapped fines worth Dhs3,700,000 against two investors ID and IK (both running two estates) and a general trading company called D (running a project in Jumeirah), after the three parties had delayed to pay instalments which had amounted to Dhs11,500,000.
State security officers arrested him immediately after he had allegedly paid an amount of Dhs400,000 as the first instalment of the Dhs500,000 bribe he had promised to WN. He had pledged to pay the remaining Dhs100,000 after verifying the documents that WN gave him.
“It never happened. I had only met with WN in order to conclude a deal in the interest of the company D, with which I had signed an agreement to act as its representative,” he argued before Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi. His lawyer asked for time to prepare his client’s case. The case continues on Dec.18.
WN revealed that he worked for the real estate developing company as an official in charge of collecting fines from landlords who delayed to pay periodic instalments.
“WM initially asked me to solve the matter outside the company. He later on came to the company and claimed to be a son of one of the three landlords. He initially proposed Dhs200,000 in case I cancelled the due fines.”
WN notified the company’s legal affairs management about the matter.
The management alerted the state security officers who advised WN to lure WM into a trap inside a hotel.
