An Abu Dhabi court has imposed a 66-year prison sentence and a Dh39 million fine on a local citizen and his wife, following their conviction in a series of 12 criminal cases. The couple, along with 16 other defendants of various nationalities, were found guilty of multiple offenses including harming public funds, forgery, bribery, profiteering, and commercial fraud.
The Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation’s decision was a response to the couple’s involvement in several illegal activities. These included establishing private warehouses to store and resell expired food and other consumer goods by illegally altering expiration dates. The court found that the defendants not only changed the products’ main features and expiry dates but also provided false and misleading commercial information, particularly concerning organic food products, thereby endangering public health and safety.
In addition to the food-related fraud, the defendants were involved in a range of other illicit activities. They were convicted of soliciting and accepting bribes, illegally connecting a water pipe to a farm in violation of regulations, and damaging water and electricity infrastructure. This led to significant disruption in public services and posed a threat to public safety. Furthermore, they were found guilty of attempting to unlawfully merge two farms by appropriating a public road, causing disruption to public transport, and forging official documents and electronic files to facilitate their crimes.
The other defendants in the case received varying prison sentences, ranging from three to 15 years, and were collectively fined Dh13 million.
