(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The PRO is also accused of bribing the officer to stamp the residence visa of an illegal visitor who had cumulative fines of Dh7980.
Dubai — A 42-year-old public relations officer (PRO) was charged in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday with offering a bribe to a government official for unlawful favours.
The accused an Indian was booked for allegedly offering Dh10000 as bribe to an Emirati sergeant 27 of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in return for processing six family visas that did not meet the required standards.
The PRO is also accused of bribing the officer to stamp the residence visa of an illegal visitor who had cumulative fines of Dh7980.
The officer said that the defendant solicited the favours from him at around 10.30am on May 8 last year while he was on duty.
“He wanted me to pass six family visa applications that did not meet the required conditions. He also wanted me to stamp the residence visa of a visitor who overstayed in the country in breach of the Foreigners’ Entry and Residence Law for 356 days with fines totalling Dh7980.”
When the officer informed the Preventive Security Department about the incident he was instructed to go along with the defendant’s offer and make him believe that he accepted the deal.
Three residence visa applications the defendant allegedly submitted were on behalf of a man to sponsor his wife and two sons and lacked a tenancy contract. Two other residence visa applications were to sponsor another man’s wife and son even though the applicant’s job was not listed in the eligible categories. Two other visa applications did not meet the conditions as one lacked a tenancy contract and the other was for one who was overstaying with cumulative fines.
The accused was arrested while he was paying the officer Dh3000 in the latter’s car in exchange of his demands and promised the officer to pay the remaining amount later.
The officer arrived to meet the accused with the requested visas and the stamped passport at a parking lot of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) branch at the GDRFA.
The court adjourned the hearing to June 24.