Sama Dubai case verdict on July 29

Verdicts in the Sama Dubai case involving four UAE nationals and a Syrian who are accused of bribery and embezzling Dh2.28 million are expected to be announced on July 29.

The case was adjourned yesterday by the Dubai Misdemeanour Court.

Defence lawyers called on the court to find the five not guilty on the grounds that their actions were "non-criminal real estate brokerage transactions that had nothing to do with their work duties".

And the lawyers dismissed claims that the accused, who worked for Sama Dubai, had revealed secret information about the developer.

"Buyer Abdul Aziz Al Banai was informed that a core part of their work was to promote and sell the company's land," they said.

Witnesses' testimonies showed there had been no wrongdoing that might have harmed the firm, they said.

The lawyers said Sama Dubai's auditor had indicated that there were no rules that prevented employees acting as brokers and added that many real estate companies acknowledged making payments to brokers.

Additionally, they referred to the testimony of Sama Dubai operations manager Ahmad Mustafa, who said there were no regulations in the company that governed the sale of land. The lawyers said this meant there could be no suggestion that the accused took bribes.

And they added: "It is enough for five people to be in custody for 10 months.

"Any criminal verdict should be based on confirmation and facts, not guessing and suspicion."

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