DUBAI // A man who offered a residency officer Dh10,000 to overlook violations in residency applications he was filing has been jailed for three years.
Indian A N, 42, was renewing seven residency visas on May 5 last year and one of the people concerned had overstayed by 356 days, accruing fines totalling Dh7,980.
He then offered Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department officer K M the cash in return for cancelling the fines on one of the visas and for renewing the other six, despite the fact that they were all missing important documents.
Residency officer K M, 27, confirmed the accusations against A N, adding that four of the applications were for a family.
The Emirati told his supervisors at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs about the bribe and he was advised to play along with the Indian applicant.
On May 12, K M met with the defendant as agreed and received the bribe while police were watching. The Indian was then arrested.
He denied the accusations at Dubai Criminal Court last September but was convicted and sentenced to three years and deportation.
salamir@thenational.ae