UAE woman steals Dh13 million from work, spends it on lover

A 33-year-old woman went on trial accused of embezzling more than Dh13 million from her workplace and splurging the money on a man who had promised to marry her.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance heard that the woman from a GCC nation used her position as the head of the accounts section at a banking institution in Abu Dhabi to steal the cash.

Official court documents said that the woman allegedly spent the stolen cash on a 26-year-old man, also from a GCC country, in paying his bank loans, buying him luxury cars and special number plates, buying expensive gifts like branded watches and clothes, as well as paying for his luxurious trips to Europe while travelling in business class.

The man, who was already married and reportedly lying to the woman that he would marry her, is also on trial for conniving with the woman to embezzle funds and exploiting her.

The man's brother - who also enjoyed the woman's embezzled money - is an accused in the case, too.

The woman's fraudulent methods came to the fore after one of her colleagues discovered a transaction she carried out which did not match with the prescribed procedures.

Police investigations revealed that the woman used her position at work and fraudulent means to embezzle millions from the institution.

"She spent the funds on her alleged fiancé by transferring the cash to him and also buying him luxurious gifts as well as paying his expensive trips," said the police after arresting the woman. "She also spent some cash on the man's brother."

Police said they had recovered part of the stolen cash by seizing the gifts - like vehicles - that were bought using the misappropriated funds.

In the court, the woman admitted to embezzling the funds from her workplace during the period August 2016 to April 2017.

She, however, regretted committing the crime saying that she had made a big mistake.

The woman also said that her fiancé had asked her to help them with money because his father's company was indebted and that it had been seized.

She said the men had promised that they would pay back the money to her.

The man and his brother denied asking her for money. The man told the court that the woman was giving him the cash on her own will and as gifts because she didn't want him to suffer as he was his lover.

• Abu Dhabi

Ismail Sebugwaawo

ismail@khaleejtimes.com