Bribery pair have deportation orders lifted at Dubai appeal court

The Chinese defendants offered Dh30,000 to inspector to grant licence for physiotherapy centre that did not meet health authority standards.

DUBAI // Two men who offered a Dubai health inspector Dh30,000 to help them obtain approval for opening a physiotherapy centre that was not up to standards had their deportation orders lifted by the appeal court.

However, the court upheld a three-month jail term for each of them, handed down by Dubai Criminal Court.

On November 18, 2013, Chinese defendants ZA, 27, and SS, 30, offered Omani inspector AA, 29, Dh30,000 to violate his professions rules.

The inspector testified that he was responsible for checking facilities that have submitted licence requests.

“I know ZA because he had been working previously for a medical centre that was shut down for a period of six months by Dubai Health Authority for committing several violations,” he said.

“On November 11 he called me and said he was applying for a licence for a new centre, then told me he would need my help and I will get money in return for my help.”

The inspector reported the issue to his manager, who contacted police and reported ZA.

Police advised AA to negotiate with ZA and arrange for a meeting to take the bribe from him.

The inspector was initially offered Dh5,000 but he negotiated the amount and raised it to Dh30,000 of which Dh25,000 had to be paid up front, with the rest after the approval was gained.

ZA and SS, who turned out to be the owner of the new facility seeking a licence, were both arrested in a sting operation when they met with the inspector and handed him the money on November 18.

Prosecutors said that ZA confessed to a charge of offering a bribe during investigations and said that the DHA refused to licence the facility because it lacked some important tools and its furniture was not suitable for a physiotherapy centre.

Both men denied the charge of offering a bribe but both were convicted.