Three years in jail for duo who forged ownership documents for three cars

A Yemeni vehicle testing centre employee transferred ownership into the name of his Syrian friend and then forged shipping letters to get the vehicles taken from the UAE.

DUBAI // An employee at Wasel Vehicles Testing was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of forging ownership documents for three vehicles worth more than Dh90,000.

Yemeni EA, 23, had in December 2012, forged the ownership certificates of a 2007 Chevrolet, a 2008 Nissan and a 2008 Jaguar and transferred the ownership to his Syrian accomplice, TA, 30.

He then forged three shipping letters to have the vehicles removed from the UAE.

The Syrian was convicted with aiding and abetting his Yemeni friend in forgery and use of forged documents and with embezzlement of Dh92,000 worth of vehicles. He was also sentenced to three years in jail.

Dubai Criminal Court heard last August that after the vehicle testing employee forged the documents, he gave them to TA, who submitted them to Dubai’s Roads and Transports Authority.

Wasel supervisor MA, 39, testified that two years ago a complaint was received from the owner of the vehicles, who said his cars had been taken after someone at Wasel forged their ownership certificates.

“We knew that the cars were submitted to Wasel in Al Jaddaf and found out that EA was the one who worked on this issue,” said the Emirati.

He added that the defendant then denied any forgery, saying that the owner came to him with a man who wanted to buy the cars but then the owner left to pray, so he finalised the sale papers alone with the buyer.

“He later changed his claim and confessed that he was asked by a Sudanese colleague to carry out the paperwork without the presence of the owner and promised to provide him with the owner’s approval and signature,” said MA.

“He said he finalised the application but then the Sudanese colleague did not provide the approval and signature, so he got scared to tell.”

The Emirati owner of the cars, OM, 32, said he bought them in an auction and sought the help of the defendant, TA, to find him a buyer.

“This was his work so I asked him to help me find a buyer and, about four months later, I discovered the scam,” said the owner, who added that he was compensated by the RTA.

The Yemeni confessed to the charges but the Syrian denied everything. Both men were convicted and sentenced to jail to be followed by deportation. They were also jointly fined Dh150,000.