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A Pakistani who borrowed a pick-up van from his friend and sold it to a third person in Sharjah via a used car dealer, was sentenced one year in jail followed by deportation by the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance.

The victim told police that his friend AH, 31, borrowed his pick-up van registered in his sponsor’s name, saying he needed the vehicle just for ten minutes. 

“On July 11 last year at around 9am I was in Al Muhaisna area. My friend AH came to me and asked me to lend him my pick up, saying he needed the vehicle for just 10 minutes. After more than ten minutes  passed, I called him but his mobile phone was switched off. I informed my sponsor who also called AH but in vain,” testified the victim MI, 45, carpenter.

The victim’s sponsor YMH, 60, Emirati told the police that he handed over his double-cabin Chevrolet pickup to the carpenter who worked for him to sell it for Dh12,000.

“Later he expressed willingness to buy it and paid me Dh6,000. We did not sign a purchase deal because I trusted him and because he worked for me.

“On July 11, the carpenter came to me and told me that he lent the pickup to a friend who needed it for ten minutes but his friend had not turned up with the pickup and his mobile phone was switched off. The carpenter and I lodged a complaint with the police.

“On August 14, I received a call from a used vehicle dealer in Sharjah telling me that the pickup registered in my name was sold by an Emirati for Dh2,000 on the same day that it was lent to the carpenter’s friend. The dealer told me that the pickup is parked in front of a garage in Sharjah,” testified YMH.

Police found out that AH had sold the pickup for Dh2,000 and presented the driver’s licence of an Emirati identified as IK to prove his identity. He signed on the purchase contract as IK.

When contacted by police, IK said he had not sold a pickup van and that he had reported to the authorities that he had lost his driver’s licence in 2009.

AH claimed to the pickup’s buyer Kamel that he is IK and the latter gave him Dh2,000 as down payment. AH agreed with MN, 30, Syrian, who works for a used vehicle dealer in Sharjah for signing the purchase contract between the ‘buyer’ and the ‘seller’.

AH admitted to all charges and MN admitted to concluding the pickup’s purchase contract without having the authority to do so.

MN was also found guilty by the court of criminal complicity and was sentenced to three months in prison.