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Jordan's Criminal Court Commences Proceedings On Former Drake & Scull CEO Al Tabari

Dubai-based contractor Drake & Scull International (DSI) said that the public prosecutor in Amman, Jordan, has filed an indictment against its former CEO Khaldoun Saeed Al Tabari.

The criminal proceedings have been made on Al Tabari and his daughter Zeina Khaldoun Al Tabari and Saleh Mustafa Muradweij on "charges that include the felony of committing fraud in buying, selling, or managing movable and immovable state or public authority funds," according to a statement from DSI.

Key background

The news comes more than a year after Al Tabari was detained in Amman at the Queen Alia International Airport while leaving Jordan for the UK. Interpol released a Red Notice for his arrest on January 7, 2020 - after 15 criminal complaints were lodged against him by DSI, accusing him of financial transgressions worth more than $1.9 billion (AED 4 billion).

UAE's Public Funds Prosecution accused Al Tabari of many offenses, including the appropriation of public joint-stock company (PJSC) funds, the squandering of funds, profiteering, and mismanagement, as well as other financial crimes committed during his tenure as CEO of the company.

The acquisitions were leveled against him after internal inquiries undertaken by the organization.

Later, according to the Abu Dhabi Attorney General's decision, the UAE Central Bank ordered banks operating across the country to freeze accounts of Al Tabari and his family members.

Al Tabari, who stepped down as CEO in 2016 and left the UAE in 2018 with his family, has not returned since then.

Earlier in 2018, a Bloomberg report said that an internal probe by Drake & Scull into alleged violations has concluded that Al Tabari and his daughter owe the contracting firm as much as 1 billion dirhams ($272.3 million), which was strongly denied by him.

In-depth investigations

Since Al Tabari left the UAE, DSI has been working on the case in cooperation with authorities in Jordan and government agencies in the UAE.

The procedures included in-depth inquiries by members of the Jordanian security and judicial authorities and an analysis of records and investigations relating to the activities of Al Tabari during his tenure at the company.

Investigations confirmed the financial transgressions on the part of Al Tabari, prompting the Amman Public Prosecutor to file an indictment. A misdemeanor charge of fraud and breach of trust are also included for Al Tabari and his daughter Zeina Al Tabari during the time they handled Drake & Scull in the UAE and a third person named Saleh Mustafa Muradweij.

Nature of charges

The indictment of Al Tabari and his daughter included charges of money squandering and the appointment of an external legal advisor without the approval of the board of directors of the company.

In addition to paying commission for the purchase of immovable property in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah, the indictment also accused the Tabaris of disbursing unjustified sums of money to an entity.

The indictment calls for them to stand trial before the Criminal Court of Amman for this felony. The court has the power, jurisdiction, and right to weigh the evidence and impose deterrent punishment on the accused, provided that they are also tried in the indictment before the same court for the remaining misdemeanors.

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Verónica y el tomógrafo

Los documentos del Registro Público del Comercio muestran que Verónica Shadai Espíndola Palma era al mismo tiempo socia de Inmobiliaria Punta Maya y de Logística y Asesoría Comercial, SA de CV.

El 11 de noviembre de 2008, Logística y Asesoría Comercial —con Espíndola Palma como representante— recibió la transferencia de 13.8 millones de pesos del Instituto de Salud de Aguascalientes (ISEA) en pago por un tomógrafo, según consta en órdenes de pago y recibos presentados como pruebas en el juicio penal 0065/2013 que se siguió contra Reynoso y otros exfuncionarios.

En Estados Unidos, los agentes investigadores Kenneth Vacek y Luis Reyna admitieron ante un juez que investigan al exgobernador bajo la sospecha de que la compra del tomógrafo fue una de varias operaciones que realizó para introducir de manera ilícita recursos al sistema bancario estadounidense.

Según los agentes, Logística y Asesoría Comercial transfirió los 13.8 millones de pesos a Corporativo PBMG, otra empresa creada en Cancún y con la que compartía domicilio. Y, a su vez, Corporativo PBMG lo depositó a Administración Comercio y Representación Mercantil, SA de CV, que más tarde fondeó parte de las compras de propiedades de Reynoso López en San Antonio.

Sin embargo, la Fiscalía de Estados Unidos aún no ha acreditado esa triangulación ni ha fincado acusaciones formales contra el exmandatario ni contra su hijo.