Dubai trader cleared of forging papers to claim dead brother's land

A trader, who was on trial for allegedly forging a land share sale contract upon a power of attorney given to him by his late brother, has been acquitted by a Dubai court.
Prosecutors accused the 61-year-old Kuwaiti trader of falsely stating in the plot of land registration agreement that his late brother had sold his share to him. The disputed contract was signed 11 days after the death of the owner and the trader's alleged motive was to exclude the heirs from their father's rights in the estate located in Jumeirah 3. 
He also allegedly used the forged document and presented it to a Dubai court in an inheritance lawsuit.
The Court of First Instance found the trader not guilty of forgery and use of forged document charges. The public prosecution has appealed the verdict.
The case dates back to February 2016.
The trader's 35-year-old niece said the defendant registered the disputed plot of land (a share) at the Land Department upon a sale agreement dated June 12, 2013. "He had bought the land from my late father by a power of attorney given to him by my father."
She told the investigators that the registration happened 11 days after the death. "My uncle presented reports to the Shariah Court which stated that we had no rights in that piece of land."
The trader admitted during investigation that he began transferring the land ownership and registering the plot at the Land Department after it had been sold by the deceased man to him and other family members.
He presented a sale agreement claiming it had been signed by him and his late brother.
A letter from the Land Department sent to the public prosecution said they were not aware that the land owner had passed away at the time of the plot registration. "The department could only be notified by the legal heirs, and that did not happen. The registration was completed in accordance with the power of attorney the trader had and within the usual procedure followed by the department," that letter said.
A date has yet to be set for the hearing at the Court of Appeals.