DUBAI—French former spy Herve Jaubert fled arrest and possible torture in Dubai by dressing in a woman’s abaya and sailing away in a rubber dingy.
However, the daredevil escape artist may now have fewer places to run, after his creditors opened a legal case against him in his home state of Florida on Tuesday.
Jaubert was convicted in absentia in a Dubai Criminal Court in June for fraud and theft of millions of dollars from his former employer Dubai World. Jaubert denies the charges.
He was sentenced to five years in jail and issued a fine of Dh14 million (US$3.8 million) to recoup some of the money he allegedly embezzled while serving as CEO of submarine manufacturing subsidiary Exomos.
However, because of his escape, Dubai World has had to open a civil case against him in the federal court of Southern Florida.
“Dubai World is fully confident that the U.S. court will come to the same conclusion as a Dubai court did,” said a spokesman for Dubai World.
“Mr. Jaubert misrepresented his ability to design and build submarines to obtain his position as CEO of Exomos and then used that position to steal millions of dollars from Dubai World.”
Jaubert moved his family and red Lamborghini from his home in Miami to Dubai in 2006 to take up a position at Dubai World, manufacturing James Bond-style mini submarines.
However, auditors at the parent company became suspicious when they noticed inconsistencies in the accounts of Jaubert’s company, Exomos.
One witness later testified to the Dubai Criminal Court that they had noticed that Jaubert had bought equipment through his U.S. company, Seahorse Submarines, that allegedly could not have been used to build submarines.
When two submarines were finally delivered, Dubai World bosses were dismayed to find that they were both faulty. One of them was said to have burst into flames when deployed.
According to Dubai World’s case, Jaubert was said to have promised to repay Dh4.9 million (US$1.3 million) that initial audits claimed was missing from Exomos accounts.
However, he fled the country last year, after police confiscated his passport and he was fired by Dubai World.
Jaubert disguised himself as a woman in a burqa, before highjacking a coastguard boat and making his escape in a rubber dingy.
He arranged to meet an acquaintance six hours off the coast of the UAE, and from there sailed to India.
A spokeswoman for Dubai World said that Jaubert would be issued a notice of the proceedings “as soon as possible.”
However, the daredevil escape artist may now have fewer places to run, after his creditors opened a legal case against him in his home state of Florida on Tuesday.
Jaubert was convicted in absentia in a Dubai Criminal Court in June for fraud and theft of millions of dollars from his former employer Dubai World. Jaubert denies the charges.
He was sentenced to five years in jail and issued a fine of Dh14 million (US$3.8 million) to recoup some of the money he allegedly embezzled while serving as CEO of submarine manufacturing subsidiary Exomos.
However, because of his escape, Dubai World has had to open a civil case against him in the federal court of Southern Florida.
“Dubai World is fully confident that the U.S. court will come to the same conclusion as a Dubai court did,” said a spokesman for Dubai World.
“Mr. Jaubert misrepresented his ability to design and build submarines to obtain his position as CEO of Exomos and then used that position to steal millions of dollars from Dubai World.”
Jaubert moved his family and red Lamborghini from his home in Miami to Dubai in 2006 to take up a position at Dubai World, manufacturing James Bond-style mini submarines.
However, auditors at the parent company became suspicious when they noticed inconsistencies in the accounts of Jaubert’s company, Exomos.
One witness later testified to the Dubai Criminal Court that they had noticed that Jaubert had bought equipment through his U.S. company, Seahorse Submarines, that allegedly could not have been used to build submarines.
When two submarines were finally delivered, Dubai World bosses were dismayed to find that they were both faulty. One of them was said to have burst into flames when deployed.
According to Dubai World’s case, Jaubert was said to have promised to repay Dh4.9 million (US$1.3 million) that initial audits claimed was missing from Exomos accounts.
However, he fled the country last year, after police confiscated his passport and he was fired by Dubai World.
Jaubert disguised himself as a woman in a burqa, before highjacking a coastguard boat and making his escape in a rubber dingy.
He arranged to meet an acquaintance six hours off the coast of the UAE, and from there sailed to India.
A spokeswoman for Dubai World said that Jaubert would be issued a notice of the proceedings “as soon as possible.”
