April 8 – A British businessman who was managing director of iconic English club Leeds United has alleged he was mistreated and physically abused whilst detained in Dubai for almost two years.
David Haigh (pictured) was arrested in the oil-rich state in May 2014 after being accused of fraud by his former employer, GFH Capital – a Dubai-based private equity group which bought Leeds in 2012.
It was alleged that he faked invoices for millions of pounds and illegally channelled GFH’s money to bank accounts he controlled. He has always strenuously denied the allegations.
Speaking to the BBC in his first interview since his release last month, Haigh said there were five “serious episodes” of physical abuse and that the alleged mistreatment by police began three to four weeks after his arrest.
Haigh, released from prison at the end of March after being acquitted on separate charges of cyber slander, says he kept the British embassy in Dubai informed of his treatment while in prison, but their response was “wholly inadequate”.
In a separate interview with his local newspaper, Haigh said his experience had been “horrific”.
“I was punched around, I was hit, I was tasered. People attempted to sexually abuse me,” he charged.
Haigh wants to get his original conviction and the worldwide freezing of his assets overturned and says GFH – which still holds a 25 % share in Leeds United – should leave. “They are hampering the advancement of the club,” he charged.
A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman was quoted as saying: “Our embassy staff were in almost daily contact with Mr Haigh throughout his detention, and this included regular checks on his welfare. We also regularly raised his case with UAE authorities, letting them know we were following it closely.
“We take Mr Haigh’s allegations of mistreatment extremely seriously and are setting out our concerns to the UAE authorities. We only raise allegations of mistreatment when we have the individual’s consent to do so.”
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