Khaberni - The Dubai Court of Cassation has brought down the curtain on the money laundering case known in the media as the "Abu Sabah case," after it decreed a partial annulment of the ruling issued by the Court of Appeal, thereby canceling the joint fine of 150 million dirhams imposed on the well-known Indian businessman Balwinder Singh Sahni, nicknamed "Abu Sabah" in the media, and the rest of the defendants, replacing it with confiscation of the crime-related funds, while upholding the rest of the judgment which sentenced him to five years in prison, fined him 500 thousand dirhams, with the confiscation and deportation from the country after serving the sentence, as well as upholding the imprisonment and penalties imposed on the rest of the defendants in the case.
According to the outcome reached by the Court of Cassation, it upheld the judgment that sentenced the main defendant to five years in prison and fined him 500 thousand dirhams, with confiscation of the funds obtained from the crime, and his deportation from the country after serving the sentence, alongside upholding the judgments passed on the rest of the defendants, which varied between imprisonment, fines, and confiscation, after proving their guilt in participating in committed organized money laundering crimes.
The details of the case date back to the defendants forming a complex financial network, relying on transferring huge amounts of money through bank accounts and multiple companies inside and outside the country, with the intent of concealing their illegitimate source and granting them a facade of legitimacy, in a clear violation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law provisions.
Investigations revealed that the funds in question were circulated through bank transfer operations and fictitious investments, using advanced fraudulent methods, which necessitated widespread intervention by regulatory authorities and the public prosecution, which initiated the investigations and referred the defendants to criminal trial, in a case that was described as a model for the state's strict application of financial legislation and combating transnational crimes.
The court explained in its judgment reasoning that the cancellation of the proportional fine does not mean the absence of criminal responsibility, but rather came based on the correct application of the law, satisfied by imposing the confiscation penalty as the most effective legal tool to recover illicit funds and dry up the sources of crime, while maintaining the original and supplementary penalties to achieve both general and special deterrence.
Who is Abu Sabah?
Sahni was born in Kuwait in 1972 and emerged as one of the prominent foreign investors in the real estate sector within the Emirate of Dubai, through founding the RSG International Group, which started from a small family business specialized in selling car parts in the 1970s, and later expanded to include fields of real estate, industrial equipment, and logistics services, with extensive operations and activities in the UAE, Kuwait, India, and the United States, according to the company's website.
"Abu Sabah" became famous for his extremely lavish and extravagant lifestyle; in 2016, he sparked widespread controversy when he paid 33 million Emirati dirhams for a distinctive car plate bearing the number (5) at a public auction. He also owned a fleet of luxury cars, including several "Rolls Royces", and it was known that his house contained a "Bugatti" displayed in the living room, as mentioned by the "UAE Times Now" newspaper, and this lifestyle contributed to his media prominence and appearances in economic, social, Gulf, and international events, thereby enhancing his image as a businessman living a life of extravagant wealth.
On social media, Sahni was notably active, often sharing photos and video clips from his daily life and private possessions, which enhanced his presence as an influential personality until his dramatic legal downfall amid the UAE business sector.
