United Arab Emirates

A man has been sentenced to six months in prison by the Sharjah Court of First Instance after it found that he obtained Dh1.515 million from a father by falsely claiming he could secure the man’s son a place at a college.

The court ruled that the defendant used a false identity and purported influential connections to convince the father that he could arrange the admission. It also referred the financial dispute to the competent civil court and ordered the defendant to pay court fees.

The father had been trying to enrol his son and was introduced to the defendant through an acquaintance. During a phone call, the defendant said he could help and requested Dh70,000 in cash. The money was collected from the son at a shopping centre in Sharjah.

He later met the father at a hotel and again said he could register the son at the college. At that meeting, he sought Dh445,000, which he said was needed for the first year of tuition, as well as an additional Dh1 million for investment.

The next day, the son handed over Dh1.445 million to the defendant. Combined with the initial Dh70,000 payment, the father and son had paid Dh1.515 million. The promised admission was not arranged, and the money was not returned.

A woman who had a working relationship with the father and professional and personal connections with the defendant told the court that she stepped in after becoming aware of the disagreement. According to her testimony, the defendant acknowledged that he had received the funds.

The father’s lawyer said the defendant had attempted from the beginning to prevent a clear record of the transactions. He allegedly demanded cash on the grounds that the nature of his work meant he could not accept money through a bank account, and required that payments be made inside his private vehicle.

The legal representative told the court that the relationship between the parties was traced through inquiries into the defendant’s identity and circumstances, as well as their meetings and communications. Payment records, witness testimony and phone messages were presented as evidence.

After considering the evidence, the court concluded that the defendant had relied on a false identity and fraudulent methods to induce the father to pay the money. It imposed the six-month prison sentence and left the civil aspects of the case to the competent civil court.