Another Pinoy waiter in UAE on trial for theft, forgery

29Oct09

Just one week after his compatriot was haled to court for theft of a credit card, a second Filipino waiter in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) faced trial this week for a similar offense.

The 27-year-old Filipino, whose name was withheld, worked at a restaurant in Atlantis Hotel at the time of the theft last July, said a report of by the Khaleej Times (www.khaleejtimes.com) Tuesday.

The Filipino, who stood trial in the Court of First Instance Monday, was accused of stealing a debit card issued by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, three mobile phones, a watch, four sunglasses and three iPod music players.

He was also accused of spending more than 1,300 dirhams (P16,684) by using the stolen debit card at a supermarket, and allegedly forging the cardholder’s signature on the purchase receipt.

An Indonesian waiter at the same hotel told prosecutors that on July 7, he left his bag in the fitting room while he was on duty.

“When I finished my shift in the morning, I went to check my stuff and I found my ADCB debit card, a pair of sunglasses and Dh35 missing,” the Indonesian was quoted saying.

He called the bank and learned that someone had his card in City Supermarket to buy items worth Dh1,372 (P17,609).

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at the supermarket showed the Filipino using the card.

“I saw a Filipino using my card. I met that Filipino two days later in the work bus,” the Indonesian said.

Police later learned on July 11 that the Filipino was in possession of stolen mobile phones.

“We went to his place about 9 p.m. to arrest him. He voluntarily admitted to having stolen a debit card and shopping with it. Three mobile phones, a watch, four sunglasses, three iPod devices and an ADCB ATM card were found in his possession,” a police sergeant said.

Only last week, another Filipino waiter in the UAE faced a trial court this week over charges that he stole a credit card from his workplace and spent P41,943 using it.

In last week’s case, the 28-year-old Filipino allegedly stole a Dubai Islamic Bank credit card kept at the Deposit Box at the restaurant where he worked in Jebel Ali.

Court records showed he admitted to prosecutors to having taken the credit card after finding it at the restaurant.

According to the report, the Filipino also admitted to having used the credit card to buy food and a mobile phone worth Dh3,150 (P40,355) from Micro City Electronics last May 27.

He even allegedly forged the signature of the cardholder on the purchase receipt.