Former CEO denies DSI allegations

The former CEO of Drake & Scull International, Khaldoun Tabari, on Wednesday "unequivocally refuted" allegations of financial violations levelled against him by his former employer.
In a statement, the Jordanian national who was recently arrested and released in Amman, on complaints filed by DSI, accused DSI's current management of employing unethical intimidation tactics targeting his family members, former associates, former employees, and personal friends.
Tabari, who worked with DSI as its CEO and vice chairman between 2008 and 2016, said the "unfounded allegations" made by DSI show that they are unwarranted commercial claims and not criminal complaints.
"These claims have also been accompanied by a smear campaign that is feeding misinformation to the media, further underscoring the questionable tactics employed by DSI's new management throughout this process." Tabari underscored that the allegations in question are entirely unfounded and can be easily refuted by the evidence in hand, which he confirmed has been made available to the UAE authorities in question.
DSI said recently that the Abu Dhabi Public Funds Prosecutor was investigating new criminal complaints filed against Tabari, family members and other former executive managers. DSI also said Tabari has been charged for misappropriation, fraud, embezzlement, intentional damage to public funds, profiteering others, and forgery by the Abu Dhabi Public Funds Prosecutor in response to 15 prior criminal complaints filed by DSI.
The construction giant has been pursuing legal action against Tabari to get him extradited to the UAE following his arrest by Jordanian authorities at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. The arrest followed an International arrest warrant filed by UAE authorities against Tabari that resulted in an Interpol red notice issued January 7, 2020.
In his statement sent out to media, Tabari also denied his or any member of his family's involvement in any violations, misrepresentations or negligence during his tenure at DSI, adding that neither he nor his family owe the company any sums of money, as evidenced by DSI's published financial statements, which actually show that DSI owes him several million dollars - a claim confirmed by a recent Dubai Court judgment.
"As CEO and vice chairman of Drake & Scull, I had successfully worked with the board of directors to take the company to the highest success," explained Tabari. "My tenure saw the company grow."
He said he was determined to fight said claims, and expressed confidence that he will be vindicated. More importantly, all activities undertaken at the time - from the company's acquisitions and geographical expansion to its initial public offering - were strictly implemented within the confines of Emirati laws and regulations and international best practices, he added.
Tabari also confirmed that he has filed a motion through a legal consultant based in UAE to object to the legality of the procedures that have targeted him to date, underscoring that no formal charges have been filed against him and that he has not been called upon to appear before the court.
- issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com