Filipino on Trial for Pocketing AED 69K Worth of Travelers’ VAT Refund

An individual’s ascent to the top of their career will require much hardwork, diligence, as well as complete trust of their superiors to take on bigger roles and responsibilities within the company.

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Unfortunately, while others excel because of the trust that they have earned, there are those who take advantage of it for the wrong reasons. For employees, it’s important to note that opportunities don’t come very often, so when they do, it’s important to grab them with both hands and to put out your best foot forward to get the job done.

Filipino in Dubai Put on Trial for Pocketing AED 69,311 Worth of Travellers’ VAT Refund

Pinoy Accused of Embezzling AED 69K in Travelers’ VAT Refund

However, not everyone carries this mindset at work as in the case of a Filipino clerk, who used to work at a tax refunding company when he allegedly embezzled Dh 69,311, and was sent to trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday, as shared in a report by the Khaleej Times.

According to public prosecution records, the 34-year-old Filipino clerk was an employee at a company at Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport when he allegedly committed financial irregularities.

The man was given access to the company’s e-system and was authorised with refunding the travelers who claim VAT refund.

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The man allegedly had a hand on the company’s electronic data and stole funds on various different occasions. The man would allegedly store the claimants’ personal details in the system and falsely claim in the company’s records that the refunding was by cash. But he would deposit it, in reality, later into credit cards that did not belong to the claimants.

The pilfering took place between January 21 and March 31 this year according to police reports. However, the man denied all charges of embezzlement and e-forgery filed against him.

The general manager of the company informed the prosecutor that they learned of the employee’s irregular activities after a tourist approached them with a complaint that he did not get the VAT refund.

The manager recounted the details noting that the claimant said the money was not deposited in his credit card.

Upon reviewing the defendant’s transactions, the manager noticed some travellers had requested to get their money back in cash but failed to get it because they did not want to miss their flights. They also found out that the defendant had tweaked the payment mode in the system to be by credit card.

The general manager explained that the employee had utilized two credit cards repeatedly in most of such transactions, and pointed out that the man abused his position to take advantage of the system to pocket the travellers’ money for his own gain.

The clerk will be sentenced on June 24.

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