Man burned Dh500,000 in theft, court finds

DUBAI // An accountant who set fire to more than half-a-million dirhams of his company’s money will spend seven years in prison after he was convicted yesterday by the Dubai Court of First Instance. 

The Indian man, ST, 35, who worked for a taxi firm in Dubai, was found guilty of causing intentional damage to his employer as well as arson and theft of an amount similar to what he burnt.

Court records said ST set fire to a money bag that contained Dh550,000 in taxi receipts by lighting one banknote and putting it in the bag, which was kept in a wooden cupboard.

He also took a similar amount out of the bag and kept it, prosecutors said. His goal was to cover up his theft, they said.

The taxi company’s manager, also an Indian, said that Dh30,000 was entirely burnt while Dh226,000 was partially burnt in the attack last year. The rest was in good condition.

Prosecutors said employees at the company called police to help them put out the fire.

The criminal lab report confirmed that the blaze was deliberate.

salamir@thenational.ae