A French expatriate in Dubai has been acquitted of charges related to the alleged theft of her ex-husband’s laptop, which reportedly contained cryptocurrency trading accounts valued at Dh5.5 million, as well as charges of assault against her former mother-in-law. Dubai's criminal courts ruled in her favor after determining that the evidence presented was insufficient for conviction.
The charges originated from an incident on January 26, 2023, when the woman and her then-husband were still married. The ex-husband alleged that his wife had prevented him from entering their shared residence in Al Barsha and damaged his laptop. He claimed that this device was dedicated to managing cryptocurrency accounts meant for paying employees of his company. Six months later, he further accused her of assaulting his mother during an altercation at the same apartment.
Court documents revealed that the complainant, a Romanian national, claimed his ex-wife had taken the laptop while they were still married. Later, upon obtaining a police permit to retrieve his belongings, he found the laptop missing. The defence argued that these allegations were unfounded, and her lawyer, Dr. Hassan Elhais of Awatif Shoqi Advocates, presented evidence countering the accusations, emphasizing that his client had neither the motive nor the opportunity to commit the alleged crimes. "The accusations were based on circumstantial evidence," Elhais explained. "Our client was wrongfully accused, and the technical evidence does not implicate her."
In a related case, the woman was also acquitted of assault charges filed by her ex-mother-in-law, who accused her of initiating a physical altercation during a custody handover. The defendant argued that her ex-mother-in-law had violated a custody agreement, which required the handover to occur at the building’s reception, instead forcing her way into the apartment. The court dismissed the assault charge, citing a lack of evidence and recognizing the ongoing personal conflicts between the parties.
Dr. Elhais remarked, "Our client has been vindicated, and we appreciate the court’s careful examination of the facts in both cases."
