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Dubai Public Prosecution continues its crackdown on money laundering

The Dubai Public Prosecutor’s Office continues to combat money laundering and related crimes in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, local and federal authorities. Courts in the emirate have handed down various sentences in cases that will serve as a deterrent to money laundering offences. The sentences included imprisonment ranging from nine months to eight years, confiscation of property totalling AED 306,000 and fines of over AED 15 million. 

In the first case, the Criminal Court sentenced the accused to three years’ imprisonment on the charges against him, as well as a fine of AED 14.76 million. According to counsel Ismail Ali Madani, senior advocate general – head of public funds prosecution, the accused committed the crime of money laundering amounting to AED 14.76 million through the transfer, use and concealment of the true origin, place of origin, as well as the manner of disposal of the proceeds. This amount was obtained through misappropriation of public funds related to the proceeds of a large number of damaged replacement cards that were misappropriated from a branch of a communications company where the accused worked as a sales manager.

In another case, the Criminal Court sentenced four defendants to between three months and three years’ imprisonment, deportation from the country and payment of the equivalent of AED 210,000. The fifth defendant, a legal entity, was fined AED 300,000. Lawyer Ismail Madani said the accused embezzled the sum of AED 2.5 million belonging to the foreigner.

In another case reflecting the prosecution’s relentless efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, the Dubai Misdemeanour Court sentenced one of the defendants in absentia and three others in person to six months in prison on the fraud charge, one year in prison for money laundering, confiscation of any funds belonging to the three defendants totalling AED 96,000 and their deportation from the country. The other three accused were acquitted.

Councillor Ismail Madani said the authorities’ concerted efforts contributed to the swift gathering of evidence, which in turn allowed officials to take the necessary actions to complete the investigation quickly and accurately, as well as the court’s imposition of deterrent penalties. This cooperation reflects the high priority given to combating money laundering, which is criminalised under Federal Law No. 20 of 2018 on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and the Financing of Illicit Organisations, as well as other offences in this area.

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