FOREIGN Minister Anifah Aman has sought the aid of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Justice Minister Sultan Saeed Al Badi in the case of Malaysian Richard Lau, who is detained in the Ras Al Khaimah’s central prison.   

The UAE authorities have held the Sarawakian civil engineer for 10 months now after he was accused of stealing from a local subsidiary of  Shin Yang, a Miri-based marine transport company.

The two ministers and UAE’s Justice Ministry and Malaysian Consulate-General in Dubai officials met for 30 minutes in the emirate capital, today.

“His Excellency, the United Arab Emirate justice minister has informed the UAE government to assist in solving the case, which has been going on for 10 months, under UAE laws,” said a statement from the Malaysian Consulate-General in Dubai.

Anifah was accompanied by the Malaysian Ambassador to the UAE to the meeting at the Al Naseem Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai, today. 

On January 5, Anifah assured the Lau family of Wisma Putra’s aid and urged them to remain calm.

The family had taken their concerns to social media after Lau’s detention was extended yet again without any charges brought against him.

Lau, 41, was posted to Ras Al Khaima as a project coordinator five years ago. He was detained by the UAE authorities on April 27 last year.

Lau is among eight people accused by Emirati Walid Jumaa Abu Shabas of stealing funds from a Shin Yang subsidiary. 

Walid had pointed at the large amounts of money that the eight received from the company.

The accused have said that the payments were not secret payments but additional wages and commissions earned by carrying out the instructions of Shin Yang executive director Kenny Ling.

United Kingdom-based civil rights group, Detained in Dubai have condemned the detentions, noting that they had been extended every fortnight as the public prosecutor repeated requests for more time to investigate despite lack of evidence of wrongdoing.

UAE allows indefinite detention for crimes relating to national security, but Lau’s case is a financial dispute unconnected to illegal activity.

The UAE authorities are said to be still investigating the case and it is understood that the prosecutor is still gathering evidence of Lau’s banking account transactions. 

Meanwhile, the UAE Foreign and Justice Ministries have arranged for Anifah to visit Lau in prison on Wednesday.

Anifah is leading a delegation to the Middle East for the Meeting of Ministers on a Global Pact Against the Islamic State, taking place in Kuwait, tomorrow.  – February 12, 2018.