A former UAE minister was acquitted by the Dubai Appeals Court yesterday in a case of fraud against his business partner.

Khalifa Bakheet Al Falasi, who was also the country's first ambassador to Australia, had earlier been charged with fraud and misappropriation of funds by the Public Prosecution against Lebanese businesswoman Maysoun Jamal.

Al Falasi, it was alleged, had illegally taken ownership of an Arab technology establishment following the death of his partner, Hassan Jamal.

The plaintiff was Maysoun, Jamal's sister.

In the first trial held 22 months ago at the Court of First Instance, the former minister had been convicted and sentenced to two years in jail.

The sentence was not carried as he had appealed the verdict in the Court of Appeal, which acquitted him of both charges.

The Public Prosecution had then challenged the acquittal verdict in the Court of Cassation, which upheld Al Falasi's acquittal in the misappropriation charge on July 26, but ordered a re-trial in the case involving the fraud charge.

The case then went back to the Court of Appeal, and yesterday it found Al Falasi innocent in the fraud case, along with two other defendants, Baladayl Vadom and Saleem Helmi Abdullah (American), who were his alleged accomplices.

Also yesterday, the Appeals Court ruled that it was not authorised to hear another civil petition filed in the matter by the plaintiff Maysoun Jamal.

The Public Prosecution has one month in which to challenge the verdict.

The former minister was defended by Sameer Jaafar and Hassan Al Jaziri.

Abdul Munim Suwaidan defended the two other accused in the case.

Al Falasi had been relieved of his position as a minister of state in the Cabinet reshuffle announced on February 17.

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