Thursday saw a former Dubai Minister being declared innocent by an appeal court in the Gulf Arab emirate of Dubai of defrauding a Lebanese businesswoman, thus freeing him from a two-year sentence passed by a lower court.
 
Former minister Khalifa Bakhit al-Falasi and two managers at a technology company were freed from all charges by the court, said a ruling issued by the court.

As per the media reports, the three were sentenced to two years in jail in April for deceiving the businesswoman and taking over her late brother's stake in the firm.

Furthermore, an appeal by the businesswoman against the minister's son, who had been earlier acquitted of criminal complicity, was also dismissed by the court.

An anti-corruption campaign has recently been launched by Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates and the Gulf's trade and tourism hub, under which many businessmen and another minister have been arrested.

Last year Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum had announced that nobody would be above the law.

(via TopNews Arab Emirates. Contributed by Sadik Al Rumaithi)