UAE court orders cum-ex suspects to return $1.1 bln to Denmark

Copenhagen (Reuters) – A United Arab Emirates court has ordered Briton Sanjay Shah, the main suspect in a Danish dividend tax fraud case, and other suspects to return around 8 billion Danish crowns ($1.1 billion) to Denmark, Danish broadcaster DR reported on Thursday.

The ruling in a civil lawsuit in Dubai on Wednesday was not final and can be appealed, the broadcaster said without saying where it got the information.

The Danish tax agency confirmed the ruling, but declined to give further details.

“The Danish Tax Agency has taken note of the outcome of the court ruling with satisfaction and is pleased that a decision has now been made in relation to one of the central players in the tax dividend case,” the agency told Reuters in an email.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the UAE court ruling directly. Shah’s lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

Earlier this week, a UAE judge rejected a request by Denmark to extradite Shah, who was arrested in Dubai in June over his alleged involvement in a sham trading scheme to make double tax reclaims – known as “cum-ex” trading. 

Shah’s lawyer said last year that Shah denied any wrongdoing and that he took professional advice before carrying out the trades.

($1 = 7.4398 Danish crowns)