Prison sentence for former Leeds United MD
FORMER managing director at Leeds United, David Haigh, has been sentenced to two years in a Dubai prison.
He was convicted of a “breach of trust” by a criminal court according to Arabian Business.
Haigh was formerly the deputy chief executive of the Gulf Finance House, which until last year had owned a majority stake in Leeds United Football Club, before selling to current chairman Massimo Cellino.
He was arrested in May 2014 on charges of misappropriating around $5m of GFH funds, by fabricating around 100 invoices, and paying into four different bank accounts in Dubai, London and Manchester.
He has been held without charge since then.
In June it was announced that his case had been moved from the Dubai International Financial Centre to the Dubai Criminal Courts.
Haigh denies the charges and spokespeople for the embattled former executive have said that he intends to appeal the decision.
His funds have been frozen and he was defending himself. He is also taking his own legal action, and launched civil proceedings against GFH for human trafficking, alleging he was lured to Dubai where he was then arrested.
Mr Haigh, who is from Beeston, Leeds, was formerly deputy chief executive and general counsel of GFH and became a director of Leeds United in 2012. He became managing director in July 2013 before his relationship soured with the club owners.
