Dubai Airport
29 July 2020
Fourteen Dubai government officials, including six senior officers, have been arrested for graft and embezzlement. Lt. Col. Eessa Saif Eessa Al Ali, the 43-year-old head of the passports section at Dubai International Airport, was one of those arrested.
According to the Anti-Corruption Unit, those arrested have been accused of embezzling $1.24 million in government funds. All 14 will be charged in the courts. Dr. Obaid Saqr Bust, Head of Dubai Ports and Customs and two of his top aides had been accused of illegally amassing tens of millions of dirhams. The arrests were in line with instructions issued by General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister. The Crown Prince also ordered that the details of all detected cases should be exposed to the public as a warning against public offices engaging in corrupt activities.
Six of the Senior officials of the Air Port and Immigration were named and they were alleged to have embezzled ranging from $48,000 to $433,000.
The remaining eight officials were named as Dubai International Airport passport official. Their names along with their crimes were also revealed.
According to the Anti-Corruption Unit statement, the accused have confessed to the charges of pocketing money from the stamp revenues of the Ministry of Interior and the revenues of visas fees of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing over a period of several years.
Sheikh Mohammed has instructed that legal action should be taken against the officials as soon as possible and that their cases should be referred to the Public Prosecution Department for further interrogation and subsequently the courts for punishment.
The Anti-Corruption Unit’s statement said investigations into other illegal practices were continuing and the names of suspects and details of their crimes would be announced when those investigations are complete.
Gulf News reported.
