Aviation company manager denies offering bribe to Dubai licensing official

The Emirati official says the Uzbek manager put the money in a bag and handed it over to him.

DUBAI // The manager of an aviation company awaiting a licence to begin operating denied offering a bribe to get his papers done.

Uzbek AY said at Dubai Criminal Court on Wednesday morning that he did not offer US$50,000 (Dh183,658) to Emirati aviation operations inspector E A, 40.

“I am responsible for inspecting and controlling all work related to licensing aviation companies and then I write a detailed report recommending a licence or not,” said the inspector, who added that he received a call from the defendant in September last year who introduced himself as the manger of an aviation company identified in court records as B S.

“He told me how his company is paying a lot of money for pilots, employees and other costs while the licence is not issued yet and how this is making the investors in the company pressure him to end this problem to avoid losing all these amounts of money.”

He added that the defendant told him he had $50,000 that he could have if he helped expedite the process.

“The thing is that his company’s application was in process and meets all requirements,” added the inspector, who told his bosses of the conversation.

The defendant was arrested after placing the money in a bag and handing it to the inspector.

The manager denied giving the bribe.

The next hearing will be on January 28.