Dubai: Expat acquitted in university degree forgery case

A 47-year-old Australian man has been acquitted by the Dubai Misdemeanours Court after being accused of using a forged university degree to secure a senior position at a Dubai hospital and receiving substantial salary payments under allegedly fraudulent circumstances.

The man, who was hired in June 2017 as a human resources manager with a reported monthly salary of Dh40,000, was accused of submitting a counterfeit master's degree certificate, reportedly from a prestigious American university, during the hiring process.

The alleged forgery came to light in November of the same year when hospital officials, during a routine verification process, flagged the degree as suspicious after contacting the issuing institution. This revelation then led to the man’s termination, an internal investigation, and formal charges filed against him.

Prosecutors claimed the "forged degree" was a deliberate attempt to deceive the hospital and secure the high-ranking position. According to court records, the document was presented as his evidence of advanced academic qualifications, which were a requirement for the role.

However, the Australian national's defence, led by Dr Hasan Elhais, a legal consultant at Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates in Dubai, maintained that his client acted in good faith. “Our client was unaware of any irregularities in the degree certificate. He submitted it in good faith as part of the standard onboarding process.”

“There was no direct evidence linking our client to any act of forgery. The prosecution has not demonstrated any intent or involvement on our client’s part in knowingly presenting a forged document," he explained.

The court ultimately ruled in favour of the accused, noting that the prosecution had failed to provide conclusive evidence to prove the forgery charges beyond a reasonable doubt

The verdict highlighted the lack of intent and underscored that other documents, including the man’s employment history, did not support claims of deliberate fraud or malpractice.

With no appeal filed within the designated timeframe, the acquittal is now final.