Apart from the forcible robbery charge, the defendant is also accused of physical assault and making criminal threats.
A 22-year-old man stood trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance on February 25 for robbing Dh2.3 million ($626,191) from three investors after luring them - along with an accomplice - for a money conversion deal.
According to public prosecution records, the defendant, an Iraqi vendor, and his Arab accomplice tricked the victims they wanted to convert $700,000 at a rate which is below the market range.
On June 26, last year, after agreeing on the time and venue for striking the deal, they met. There they attacked the victims and rob them out of Dh2.3 million and six smartphones worth about Dh18,000. A case was registered at Al Rafaa police station.
Apart from the forcible robbery charge, the defendant is also accused of physical assault and making criminal threats.
The vendor and his friend threatened to kill the victims if they fought back or screamed for help.
One of the victims, a 44-year-old Swiss investor of Indian descent, said he heard from his friend about someone who was interested in a money conversion deal. "I heard the man had $1 million and wanted to convert it in one time as he had to travel. He claimed he was willing to grant an eight per cent discount off the price of the dollar bills."
The complainant arranged for Dh2.3 million which he got from a business partner. "I was to split the profits with him. The amount was equivalent to $700,000. The fugitive contacted us and we agreed to meet at my friend's office in Oud Metha."
At 8.30pm on June 26, last year, the defendant along with the accomplice at-large showed up at the office but did not bring the cash with them. "The defendant pretended he was scared and claimed he had been previously assaulted and robbed by Russians. He sounded reluctant to go ahead in the deal. I tried to calm him down," the investor said.
The complainant added that to further reassure him he showed him the Dh2.3 million amount. "We then took him to my friend's house which is located in a building equipped with surveillance cameras after he refused to go to the hotel I stayed at."
The Iraqi accused made them think he would get the money from his car but would come empty-handed several times. He also searched the complainant's house rooms as if he was seeing if there was anybody else around.
The accused caught the victims off guard when he punched them with his accomplice. "One of the men, who was with me, could not fight back as he is 60 years old. The fugitive grabbed a glass off a table and threatened to hit me with it on the head if I made any move," the complainant said adding that the two thieves, who were muscled and young, also stole their mobile phones. "I went to the hospital as I was bleeding. We reported the incident more than one month later."
A policeman said the defendant denied the robbery charge. The trial has been adjourned to March 11.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
