'I forged Dh500 but I am not a criminal'

SHARJAH What are the odds of two unrelated job-seekers of different nationalities using counterfeit currency of two different countries at the same recruitment firm and at the same time? Very low, you’d think, more so because placement firms can’t take money from job-seekers according to the UAE law.

But that’s what a dubious company in Sharjah claims happened at their office recently.

Following their complaint, a Pakistani has been arrested and a Nigerian has landed in court.

“I did forge a Dh500 currency note but it was part of a plan to recover my investment. I am not a criminal,” the Pakistani engineer, 23, told XPRESS outside a Sharjah court shortly before his arrest on Sunday. He said the placement firm took Dh300 from him to register his CV earlier this year.

“Their setup looked shady so I googled their name and found they were bogus. That evening they called me saying I have got a job and I should pay another Dh200 to secure it. I hit upon a plan. I took a colour print of a Dh500 note and went to their office hoping to recover my Dh300 deposit when they gave me the balance.”

However, the plan backfired. He claimed the firm’s staff found out about the fake currency and roughed him up. “In another room, a Nigerian jobseeker demanding his refund was also being thrashed. I got afraid and called the police,” he said. “When the cops came, the staff convinced them the Nigerian and I had been trying to con them using fake currency. They even showed the police a fake $100 bill, claiming it was given by the Nigerian. ”

The Nigerian was not available for comment but has reportedly denied the charge.