NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL

Police close chewing tobacco factories

AL AIN - MARCH 31: Health inspectors and police have shut down three factories thought to be illegally manufacturing niswar and paan.

Both substances have been targeted as part of efforts to clean up the UAE’s towns and cities, because of the users’ habit of spitting juices on the pavement that leave an unsightly stain.

Several workers were arrested in the raids in Al Ain while police seized a large quantity of paan and niswar and equipment used in their manufacture.

While common to the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the manufacture, trade or use of niswar, a form of chewing tobacco, and paan, a preparation of betel leaf and spices, are illegal in the UAE.

Their use is widespread in areas such as Deira and Al Karama in Dubai, where the municipality may legislate to deport users and manufacturers. Already, spitting on the pavement is punishable in Dubai by a Dh500 (US$136) fine.

In addition, paan – which also often contains tobacco – and niswar have been linked to oral cancer and tuberculosis.

The raids come one week after police in Ajman also seized large quantities of niswar. According to traditional medicine practised in India, chewing paan prevents indigestion and halitosis.

Several workers were arrested in the raids, which were staged in Al Ain, within the past five days. Police also confiscated a large quantity of the chewing mixtures and the equipment used to manufacture them.

Common to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Central Asia, manufacturing, trading in and using niswar and paan is illegal in the UAE.

The habit is common in such areas of Dubai as Bur Dubai, Deira and Al Karama, where the municipality is considering the drafting of a law to deport users and manufacturers of paan and niswar. Already, the offence of spitting is punishable by a Dh500 (US$136) fine.

In addition, using paan and niswar has also been linked to cancer of the mouth, oral mucosal legions and tuberculosis.

Al Ain Municipality’s head of public affairs at the health department, Ahmad al Niyadi, warned the public against using niswar and paan and asked anyone with information on where it is manufactured or sold to contact the municipality.

The seisure comes one week after police in Ajman also confiscated large quantities of niswar.

Five in court over alleged $501m Dubai bank fraud

DUBAI - MARCH 31: Four financiers and a property developer appeared in court yesterday to deny conspiring to defraud the Dubai Islamic Bank out of US$501 million (Dh1.84 billion).

Two of the three accused Britons, CR and RC, are alleged to have bribed the two Pakistanis, OM and RU, who worked for the bank, to siphon the money into their trade finance company, CCH, in the form of an unsecured loan.

The third Briton, AF, the former chief executive of The Plantation development in Dubai, is accused of assisting with the alleged conspiracy.

Two others have also been charged, but remain on the run.

All seven were described before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance yesterday as “greedy and envious men” who deserved the harshest penalty for their alleged crimes.

Court documents claim the bank granted CCH a $501m unsecured loan on the basis of documents forged by CR, RC, and EN, CCH’s Turkish owner. CR and RC were both in court yesterday, while their erstwhile boss remains at large.

The three are alleged to have set up numerous front companies, created fake invoices and documents and presented bogus projects to the bank.

CR and RC are then said to have bribed OM and RU with $750,000 and $950,000 respectively, to accept the bogus documents and approve the loan.

RU’s brother, ZU, a US citizen, faces similar charges to CR and RC in regard to APS, a front company he is alleged to have set up. He is accused of defrauding the bank of $2m, and remains on the run.

The bank’s chief executive, AH, said in his statement to prosecutors that the alleged fraud was uncovered in July 2007.

At a meeting that October, EN and CR offered the bank a settlement that involved the bank taking ownership of The Plantation in return for not pressing criminal charges. However, the bank rejected that deal, as it would have involved giving more money to the alleged fraudsters.

Shortly after the meeting the financial irregularity was discovered by the Dubai Financial Control Department, which referred the case to prosecutors. The arrests began in August 2008, with RU taken into custody first.

The officer who arrested him said in his statement to prosecutors that RU had freely admitted to taking as much as $3m in bribes from CR for approving the loan, and that the loan would not have been cleared had he not approved it.

It was not immediately clear why he was charged with accepting a bribe of only $950,000.

A senior policeman said in his statement to prosecutors that EN, CR and RC had told police that the money from DIB had been invested in failed projects, such as an oil refinery in Pakistan.

AF had helped RC to hide some the borrowed money, transferring Dh38m to an unknown party and Dh7m to RC’s account in Pakistan, according to the senior policeman.

He added that RC had admitted fabricating false invoices and documents, and to taking $262m from the fraud. Part of that money had been transferred to AF, who used it to buy property in Dubailand, including The Plantation. RC also told police that EN had known of the fraud.

Tarek Yacoub, for the prosecution, said the alleged fraud had amounted to an attack on the country’s economy from within by “greedy and envious men” who “bit the hand that fed them”.

“These men were poised to pounce and retard our growth,” he said. “You see before you the faces of envy and deceit who have assailed our national economy.”

Mr Yacoub asked the presiding judge, Hamad Abdullatif, to strike with an “iron fist” against those who would damage the economy.

“All we ask is that your honour make an example out of these men for all who dare to do what they have done and impose on them the harshest penalty under law,” he said.

Ali al Shamsi, representing the British defendants, asked the judge to dismiss the case against his clients. He claimed the court lacked the jurisdiction to try the case since the alleged fraud took place in the UK.

The five defendants in court all pleaded not guilty, and their defence team asked for time to prepare their case. The case was adjourned until April 13.

Dubai extends deadline for medical relicensing

DUBAI - MARCH 31:The deadline for doctors in Dubai to reapply for their licences has been extended by a week because thousands have yet to submit the necessary forms.

Every doctor working in the emirate is required to register for relicensing as health authorities seek to standardise licensing procedures. Previously there were about 10 different licensing bodies in Dubai, including the police and Dubai Healthcare City.

The original deadline was March 31 but has been put back to April 8 to give doctors more time to complete the online forms and send in the required certificates and documents.

About 800 forms have been received so far, and officials at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) estimate that 2,800 physicians have logged on and started but not completed the process.

Additionally, according to Tamara Muir, licensing manager at the DHA, many doctors who had received their log-in details in January, giving them access to the online form, had not begun the process.

“We need everyone to at least submit what they have completed so far so we can start a dialogue,” she said. “Even if there are some missing documents, just submit it as is, so we can start the process.

“We are aware that there are some physicians who have received their log-ins but have not even attempted to do the application yet. It is a fear of the unknown. We are hoping that with our communications they will understand the process and complete the form by the deadline.”

All doctors will have their qualifications verified and are required to get certificates of good standing from their previous licensing bodies to show they are not involved in any disciplinary proceedings.

Mrs Muir said the licensing team appreciated that this could take time.

“We have received lots of contact from physicians asking us to help, and we are happy and willing to do that,” she said. “But now we want everyone to submit their applications by the deadline.”

The new licences will not take effect until 2010. Mrs Muir said because of the number of medical professionals in the emirate it would be a phased process, but that every qualifying physician would receive his or her licence next year. Those who did not meet the new criteria would be given a period of grace to improve their qualifications and undertake any necessary further training.

Dr Essa Kazim, head of regulation at the DHA, said it would be easy to tell which physicians have either received their usernames and passwords but not filled in the application, or those who have not even received their log-in.

“In the DHA hospitals we already have a database of the doctors employed,” he said. “And in the private sector it will also be relatively easy because of doctors coming up for relicensing.”