Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

An Indian expat is now appealing a deportation order after being convicted in a cybercrime and digital trading case. He was accused of scamming a victim out of nearly Dh20,000. He is appealing his conviction before the Fujairah Appeal Court to clear his name and avoid deportation. The Fujairah Primary Court had found him guilty of using Telegram to scam an Arab national. In July, the victim reported to the police that someone had contacted him through Telegram and persuaded him to engage in online digital trading. He then transferred the money to the account provided by the accused. During the investigation, police found that one of the accounts was linked to the 26-year-old Indian defendant, who was then arrested. He was charged with cybercrime, deception, and swindling nearly Dh20,000 from the victim. He denied the accusations during questioning, saying he had secured a job through an Instagram advertisement. His task, he explained, was to reach out to his employer’s clients and persuade them to engage in online trading. The clients were instructed to send money to designated bank accounts in return for a commission. He also claimed that he was added to a WhatsApp group, where he was asked to provide his bank account details, which were then used to receive the funds. The case was taken to the Fujairah Primary Court, where the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyer argued that the defendant "had no criminal intent" and did not deceive the claimant. He emphasized that if he had intended to defraud the victim, he would have used a fake identity. The lawyer further argued that the defendant transferred the money "as part of his job" and that it was sent to his employers. He also mentioned that the accused did not personally benefit from the funds. He presented documents to the court to support his argument and requested that the judges acquit his client. However, the primary court convicted the defendant, mentioning leniency, and directed his deportation without imposing any prison time. According to the lawyer, he appealed the ruling to overturn the deportation and prove his client's innocence. A hearing will be scheduled in court soon. FLE/Expat Media
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