Fraudster caused Dh1.2m damages to Etisalat, hears Dubai court

Man is accused of racking up Dh1.2 million in unpaid Etisalat bills by fraudulently obtaining 12 sim cards.

DUBAI // A fraudster racked up more than Dh1.2 million in unpaid Etisalat bills, a court heard yesterday.

MY, 23, from Pakistan, forged labour cards and salary certificates so he could apply for 12 sim cards from the company, then ran up bills quoted as Dh1.273m by the phone company, prosecutors told the Criminal Court.

He applied for the sim cards in January 2011.

SA, 36, an Emirati accountant at Etisalat, said he became suspicious after trying to verify the salary certificates with the company that supposedly issued them.

“The manager said that none of the people worked at his company and that the certificates must have been forged,” said the accountant, who contacted police.

Police and prosecution said that the defendant confessed during interrogations.

In court he confessed to four counts of forgery and one charge of using forged documents, but denied causing the company monetary losses.

“I sold the sim cards after obtaining them and those who bought them caused the losses,” he told the court.

A verdict is expected on October 27.