Dubai, Oct 4 (TheNational): A freight supervisor bought almost Dh20,000 worth of discount airline tickets in the names of relatives and sold them for a profit, a court has heard.

S M, 41, from Kenya, used his position with the travel services company Dnata to obtain 18 electronic tickets, prosecutors said yesterday.

He entered 17 people's details into the Emirates system as relatives to allow him to buy tickets at half price and sold them for higher rates.

S M used his employee authorisation code to enter the airline's electronic information system, the court was told.

Under company policy he was entitled to buy up to 10 tickets a year for himself and family members at discounted rates. He bought the tickets between June last year and April this year for Dh1,180 and sold them at a profit of up to Dh500 on each ticket.

The scheme was uncovered when a woman approached the ticketing counter to change her flight's return date and an employee noticed she was holding a staff ticket.

When the ticket holder was asked for her employee identification, she told the clerk she did not work with the organisation. The clerk asked her how she obtained the ticket.

The passenger replied that she had purchased it in Nairobi for $500 (Dh1,830). Further investigation showed S M had bought the ticket. The woman denied knowing him or being related to him. S M is charged with appropriating public funds and falsifying an official public entity's documents.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance adjourned the case to October 13.