An Indian expat working at the Abu Dhabi-headquartered hypermarket chain Lulu has been alleged to have absconded with cash to the tune of Dh660,000.
Lulu Group International, in a statement, said it lodged a complaint with the Abu Dhabi Police against the employee.
The 38-year-old expat, who hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, was in charge of the cash office at LuLu Hypermarket in Khalidiya Mall in Abu Dhabi City.
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The management of the hypermarket initiated an internal investigation after the employee, who was supposed to report on afternoon duty on March 25, didn’t show up. Attempts to contact him were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off. A subsequent audit revealed a shortfall of more than Dh600,000 in the cash office.
“As [he] was responsible for handling cash, his passport was retained by the company, making it difficult for him to leave the UAE,” Lulu said in a statement. His whereabouts continue to remain unclear.
The expat had been working with the Lulu Group for the past 15 years. He was residing in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two children. Following his alleged disappearance, however, his family has been reported to have left the UAE without notifying anyone, the group said in a statement.
Significantly, Lulu Group noted that through the assistance of the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, it has also filed a complaint against the expat with the Kerala Police.