Fraud: Malayali acquitted

Sharjah: The Sharjah Appeal Court has acquitted the accused in a case of embezzling 38,000 dirhams (Rs. 680,000) by forging invoices. The Sharjah Appeal Court has acquitted Ramachandran, a native of Ottappalam, who was working as a driver in an establishment in Sharjah. A complaint was filed against the owner, a Malayali, at the Hamriya Police through the Sharjah Public Prosecution.

The complaint was that he fraudulently obtained 38,000 dirhams by forging the company's invoices and making corrections in the copies. Copies of the invoices showing that he had embezzled money were also presented. Based on the documents presented, the court sentenced the accused to four months in prison. The court of appeal was approached against this verdict through Salam Pappinissery, CEO of Yab Legal Services. The appeal court acquitted the accused.

The lawyer appearing for the accused argued that the argument that the documents submitted before the prosecution were fabricated and that the accused had made corrections by taking a copy of the original invoices when the complainant was in possession is not valid. The lawyer also brought to the court’s attention the Supreme Court’s rulings that the accused had committed the crime beyond reasonable doubt. The court accepted this argument. However, the court took into account that the complainant had said that he had a confession of the accused that he had stolen the money, but no such document was produced. Although he was pressured to sign an agreement that appeared to admit the crime, he did not sign it. Subsequently, the lower court judgment under Article 399/1 was quashed and the accused was acquitted.