30 Filipinos jailed in UAE for swindle

Thirty Filipinos have been in jail in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the past two weeks after they were dragged into a racket involving the giving out of loans to other expatriate workers.

Ambassador to Abu Dhabi Amable Aguiluz III said in a statement yesterday he had sent a diplomatic note to the UAE foreign ministry to seek the release of the Filipinos to the embassy’s custody while the case against them is being heard.

Aguiluz said the Filipinos got involved in the racket after an Indian, identified as Stanley Pereira, finance manager of Gulf Agency Co. which employs the Filipinos, convinced them to get personal loans from him.

Aguiluz said Pereira made the Filipinos sign a document before giving them the money and that the Indian is now using the document to implicate them in the racket.

Investigations by embassy officials showed that Pereira had received the money from other workers, who had taken loans from various banks in Abu Dhabi, and had given the money to Pereira on condition that these would be immediately repaid.

When the police found out about the racket, Pereira was picked up and jailed, and during interrogation he dragged the Filipinos into the case, telling investigators that they were part of the illegal operation.

Aguiluz said he has engaged the services of a lawyer to defend the Filipinos while assuring authorities in Abu Dhabi that they will appear in court during the trial.

Aguiluz said he is confident that the Filipinos, whose identities he withheld, would be released soon as the case against them is weak.

Aguiluz asked Filipinos in the UAE to consult with the embassy before entering into any arrangement or contract with anybody.