Court cuts penalty in police certificate forgery

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A visitor cited in the forgery of a police clearance certificate was on Tuesday handed a lenient punishment by the Dubai Criminal Court.

The Asian visitor, 44, was first referred to the court on Jan. 20 on suspicion that he and an Arab employee, 31, forged and used a police clearance certificate to swindle Dhs16,000 from someone as per records.

They used a photocopying device to counterfeit a copy of a criminal status certificate, meant for a Filipina who had been reported to two police stations for having issued dud cheques, prosecutors told the jury.  They altered its data and filled in bogus one showing that her criminal record was clear. They attributed the fake ‘clear criminal record certificate’ to the police’s Criminal Investigations Department, records read.

They handed it to the Filipina’s relative –a saleswoman, 34. She paid them Dhs16, 025 ‘processing fees.’  During court questioning, the Arab employee denied the charges. The visitor was tried in absentia.

The court jailed them for one year and ordered they be deported after the jail term. The visitor was recently sued. He told investigators it was the employee who forged. The court on Tuesday halved his prison term.

On the record, the saleswoman’s relative in the Philippines contacted her saying she wanted a good conduct certificate for her and her Syrian husband to present them to the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines.  The saleswoman talked to the visitor for help. He in February last year said his friend (the employee) would process it for Dhs1,500. He later asked for Dhs9,300 to rescind circulars and complaints against the relative.

She kept in touch with him for updates. Both men later showed up at her workplace and handed her the husband’s certificate. They claimed the relative’s certificate was being processed to annul the circulars.

In March, the visitor asked for Dhs3,000 worth alleged processing fees. He and the employee later asked her for Dhs2,225 alleged surcharges. She asked them to sign a receipt. The employee refused and tore it. When she demanded the certificate, they gave her one bearing the relative’s names and showing it was issued by the police. She sent both certificates to the relative who entered their data in the police e-system.

There was no data showing her record was a clear. The saleswoman confronted them. They claimed she should not check it online because there were stamps on the certificate but rather present it to the embassy. It turned out to be fake.