Accountant arrested for arson and attempted theft

Accountant arrested for arson and attempted theft

By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
Published in Gulfnews: June 14, 2009, 00:04

Dubai: A Filipino accountant has been arrested for attempting to break into the safe of the company where he worked and later setting several offices on fire.

According to Colonel Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Department, the incident occurred at a commercial company situated in Al Garhoud on June 9.




Police said the suspect bought two bottles of benzene from a fuel station.

The Civil Defence was notified about a blaze in the offices of the ground floor at around 6am. The blaze damaged furniture, laptops, and files.

The criminal investigation team discovered an attempt to force open the safe of the company, which had currency notes, important documents, and employees' passports.

Initial investigations confirmed that a robbery attempt preceded the act of setting the fire. A forensic team was called in to inspect the crime scene.

The forensic expert confirmed that the fire was an act of arson.

The investigation team suspected the involvement of the company's staff and zeroed in on the Filipino accountant.

Upon arresting him in Al Garhoud, the suspect confessed to the crime.

According to Colonel Al Mansouri, the suspect entered the offices by breaking the window glass of his office on the ground floor at around 3am. He spread benzene in different areas of the office and set the place on fire using a lighter.

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