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Abu Dhabi: The Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi found an Eastern European woman on Monday guilty of attempting to exchange $50,000 in counterfeit US cash (Dh183,900) and sentenced her to one year in prison.
Due to a publication ban by the FSC, the woman's name and nationality cannot be published. Sitting at the courthouse in a quiet suburb of Abu Dhabi, the smile on her face was no indication of the verdict she just received. "The judge just told me one year and that was it. I had no chance to defend myself," she smiles and almost looks joyful. "I am stunned at all that has been happening to me," Magda, an alias given to protect her identity, says.
Defence
For the past 10 years, Magda has been living in Abu Dhabi and operating a dental clinic. Her story was previously featured on September 15 in Gulf News.
Magda told Gulf News that she fell for an e-mail scam when a Nigerian man claimed he inherited $5 million and needed to store it in her account until he sorts out the details. In exchange, Magda was promised an unspecified amount.
She met two Nigerian men in April and was pursuaded to give Dh6,000 as a trust of her receiving the first instalment of the $5 million.
The two men gave her a briefcase packed with $50,000. Magda took the money the following day to a money exchange office and attempted to exchange a small amount.
The man at the exchange counter instantly realised the money was counterfeit and called the police. The briefcase was seized and she was taken into custody.
Since April, she has been trying to explain to the courts that she was not an accomplice to this counterfeit ring, but the Nigerian men cannot be traced.
The five months Magda has already served in prison will be adjusted against her sentence, leaving her with seven months to complete. After her sentence, she will be sent back to her country.
"My family knows, but I don't want them to come here.
"There is nothing they can do. I will just pray these months go by quickly," she said.
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