Nakheel embezzlement earns three-year sentence

DUBAI // A customer service officer at Dubai World’s Nakheel was sentenced to six months in prison this morning for embezzling more than Dh77,000 in customer insurance fees paid to her employer.

The 31-year-old Filipina defendant, KA, denied the charges when she appeared before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance in March, saying she had followed the company’s regular procedures and deposited the amount into the account.

KA had been embezzling the fees since 2008. NM, a human resources manager at Nakheel, said that they suspected KA was stealing in late 2009 and revised the receipts at the accounting department.

Prosecutors said the embezzled money was discovered last year.

The court ordered her to repay Dh77,646 to Nakheel and fined her the same amount.

When KA was confronted with the findings, NM said, she admitted to spending the money and took full responsibility to her actions. She also signed an agreement to return the funds, NM testified.

She said KA did not repay the money in time, however, so police were informed.

KA will be deported after serving her prison term.

salamir@thenational.ae