Salesman cleared of stealing cigarettes

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A salesman was arrested after walking like a thief who stole 17 cartons of cigarettes from his employer’s supermarket. He has walked free from court.

The Indian salesman, 22, first appeared at the court on April 7 following allegations that he was the one who decamped with the cartons between October and December last year, as per a complaint at the Bur Dubai Police Station.

It was alleged that while on duty at the supermarket, he snatched four cartons containing cigarettes worth Dhs8,380. And hat after he was sacked, he stormed the supermarket at night and lifted 13 cartons containing Dhs31, 605 cigarettes.

Prosecutors said the defendant’s thefts harmed his employer’s interest. He refuted the allegations and pleaded innocent. The Dubai Criminal Court has cleared him citing uncorroborated evidence.

In prosecution records, the complainant –an Indian administrative manager, 30- narrated that they in October reviewed the supermarket’s inventory and realised that cartons of cigarettes had gone missing from the store.

“There were no surveillance cameras in the store but we suspected the defendant because he was among employees in charge of fetching goods from there. His friends revealed he started enjoying a luxurious life. This was strange since his salary was less that Dhs800.

“However, we failed to incriminate him because he strongly denied having stolen anything. We rather terminated his duties and started processing his visa cancellation. He was supposed to leave the country at the beginning of December,” explained the manager.

Nonetheless, thefts of cigarettes from the store continued. “We surveillance cameras in the store. On reviewing the footage we saw a thief entering the store and lifting cartons of cigarettes. He was aware of the cameras thus he appeared trying to hide from them.