A court in Fujairah fined an Arab man Dh5,000 after he was found guilty of trying to swindle Dh150,000 from a Gulf woman with whom he had a relationship.
The woman filed a lawsuit against the lover accusing him of refusing to return the sum which she had given to buy her an apartment in Dubai.
But the man denied he tried to steal the money, telling court that he gave the sum as a first installment to a real estate agent for the flat with a total price of Dh375,000.
He said that the woman later changed her mind and asked him to return the sum but he could not do so at once as he was on a visit to Oman.
The defense lawyer told a court that he saw no evidence his client tried to swindle the money and asked for his acquittal.
But the judge found that the defendant had confessed during interrogation of taking the money from the woman and that his confession was the strongest evidence.
Newspapers said the court found him guilty of giving the woman false promises to marry her and trying to take money from her. The judge ordered him to return the money to the woman and fined him Dh5,000.
