US Lawyer Charged in Dubai, Accused of Revealing Employer's Corporate Info
Updated: An American lawyer has been criminally charged in Dubai for allegedly revealing inside information about his corporate employer, a property investment company owned by the country’s ruler.
The attorney, who is identified only as “JC,” 37, is accused of revealing financial and market information about Meraas Holdings in order to curry favor with a potential employer, reports the National.
However, attorney Justin Connor has since contacted the ABA Journal, identified himself as the defendant and told his side of the story.
The indictment in the case says e-mail between JC and a 48-year-old lawyer at the potential employer, Al Qudra Holding in Abu Dhabi, documents his revelation of confidential Meraas information last year. The Al Qudra lawyer reportedly claimed never to have requested confidential information from JC.
If convicted of revealing company secrets, JC could be sentenced to as much as five years in prison and a $5,450 fine (in U.S. dollars). He apparently faces enhanced penalties, under a law that targets public officials, according to the National, because Meraas is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. He is vice president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai.
The article doesn’t include any comment from JC or his counsel.
JC did not appear yesterday at Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance and an April date has now been set for him to enter his plea.
Updated at 7:40 p.m. to include information from and link to subsequent ABAJournal.com post.
