Dubai businessman kidnapped, forced to issue a Dh55,000 cheque

Three men are standing trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance for reportedly kidnapping a businessman and forcing him to issue a Dh55,000 cheque.
The trio - two businessmen and a driver, who are all Asians between the age of 28 and 40 - allegedly took the complainant to a room and tied him up so they could force him to write the cheque, court records show.
Soon after the incident was reported in June at Al Muraqqabat police station, the three defendants were arrested and detained.
Another driver, who had dropped the complainant earlier that day at his office in Al Nahda, said he received a phone call from him, asking him to come back as he had some trouble with the people he met.
When the driver went back to the office, he found the businessman sitting with two men. "I understood from their conversation that they were accusing him of misappropriating their money," he said during the public prosecution investigation.
The driver claimed he heard the two men asking the complainant to go with them to meet their friend (the third defendant) and discuss the matter with him.
He added that the businessman was beaten up when he said he did not want to go with the duo. The driver was also reportedly assaulted as he tried to help the complainant.
In his statement to the prosecutor, the businessman detailed why and how he was forced to issue a cheque.
"About one year prior to the incident, I negotiated a business deal with a contracting firm. For that deal, the firm paid one of the defendants a Dh60,000 cheque. However, the cheque bounced because of insufficient balance," the complainant said.
"I was then in my home country and I stayed there for two months. I came back to the UAE on June 4. On the day of the incident, eight people came to my office and forced me to issue a cheque."
He claimed that the men took him to a room in Abu Hail, where he was tied up and blindfolded. "I was filmed and was told to say I was fine and that I rode willingly in their car. I was forced to smile while having dinner with them and stayed there until 4.30am. I was able to leave only after begging, crying and telling them that I would not report the incident to the police and that I would pay them Dh60,000," the businessman recounted.
When he reached his place, however, he learnt that his cousin had already filed a complaint. The police came to his place and he gave a testimony at Al Muraqqabat station.
The trial has been adjourned to September 27.
mary@khaleejtimes.com 

• Dubai

Marie Nammour

mary@khaleejtimes.com