A hapless security guard who was coaxed into stealing Dh5 million in cash - before having most of it stolen by a friend - has lost an appeal against his seven-year jail term.
The Transguard Group worker, 39, was convinced by a woman to steal one of the money bags - containing the huge cash haul - he collected from the company where she worked in Dubai.
The Kenyan split the sum with the woman, who later fled the country and remains on the run.
The man, not knowing what to do with his share, kept it with his flatmate and then asked him to move to a flat in Sharjah in order to keep a low profile away from police.
But the flatmate fled the country with the bulk of the guard's share of the cash.
He visited his flatmate every day to check on the money but 10 days later he went and didn't find him.
“I only found Dh200,000 left while the rest was gone. I heard he fled the country,” the defendant said in records.
The incident took place in March of this year.
All three were sentenced to seven years in prison each to be followed by deportation.
The woman and the flatmate were sentenced in their absence at Dubai Criminal Court.
When the guard was arrested, after being reported by his employer, police found that he had curtains, shoes, clothes and other items that he bought and was planning to ship to his wife.
He was convicted of embezzlement and causing financial damages.
The guard and the woman were additionally fined Dh5m and ordered to repay Dh4m to the company the money was stolen from.
The guard lodged an appeal against his sentence at court, but has been told he must complete his jail term.
