Fraud case against ex-minister adjourned

DUBAI // The case of a former UAE Minister of State accused of a defrauding money and property, has been adjourned to allow witnesses to be called to testify in court. The former Minister is charged with betrayal of trust, deception and taking unlawful possession of money and property belonging to his late Lebanese business partner and his heirs. The case is said to involve millions of dirhams.

The Dubai Misdemeanours Court adjourned the case until Nov 10 after lawyers for the former Minister and the late business partner's sister, who filed a complaint against the former Minister earlier this year, presented the court with a list of witnesses they wish to cross-examine. Both the former Minister and his former business partner's sister appeared in court yesterday. "It was a two-minute hearing in which both sides asked the court to call witnesses to be cross examined," said Hassan Arab, lawyer for the late business partner's sister.

The former Minister, who was relieved of his Cabinet post in July after he was indicted, claimed to own 51 per cent of the late businessman's Dubai-based company. The plaintiff claims the former minister was a salaried employee at the company and a partner on paper only as required by law. hbathish@thenational.ae