Residency officer sentenced to jail for accepting bribe to issue illegal visas for Pakistani businessman

  DUBAI – A residency officer who accepted bribes to issue illegal visas for a businessman was sentenced to prison on Wednesday. The Emirati officer was found guilty of accepting Dh40,000 to issue 76 visas for a Pakistani businessman, using forged papers at his office at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. The visa transactions were for family residency visas or visa renewals. The Dubai Court of First instance also sentenced the Pakistani businessman to one year in prison for bribing the officer. He will be deported after serving his sentence. Both men were fined Dh40,000 each and the officer was ordered to repay the bribe amount. According to court records, the Emirati issued the visas without asking for required documents, such as rent contracts and other official documents. He was exposed after an informant alerted the residency department, who launched an internal investigation. During the internal inquiry, the officer admitted that he had known the Pakistani since 2007 and that he used to collect the applications from him in secret meetings at the parking space near his office in Deira. The residency officer can appeal the ruling within 15 days. MFD/Expat MediaJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGZXhwYXRtZWRpYS5uZXQlMkZjbGFzc2lmaWVkcyUyMiUzRSUwQSUwOSUzQ2ltZyUyMGJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbHQlM0QlMjJCdXklMjBvciUyMHNlbGwlMjBhbnl0aGluZyUyMG9uJTIwRXhwYXQlMjBNZWRpYSUyMENsYXNzaWZpZWRzJTIyJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cCUzQSUyRiUyRmV4cGF0bWVkaWEubmV0JTJGd3AtY29udGVudCUyRnVwbG9hZHMlMkYyMDE2JTJGMDIlMkZBRC1zdWJzZWN0aW9uLWNsYXNzaWZpZWRzLTE2NHgyMDkuanBnJTIyJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjIxMDAlMjUlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIxMDAlMjUlMjIlM0UlMEElM0MlMkZhJTNF