Former Leeds United chief receives 2-year jail sentence

David Haigh, the former Leeds United managing director, who has been in a Dubai jail for over a year, has been given a two-year sentence after being convicted of ‘breach of trust’ by the Dubai Criminal Court.

Haigh, the former deputy chief executive of Dubai-based bank GFH, was arrested on 18 May 2014 when GFH accused him of committing fraud, embezzlement and money laundering.

GFH, which owned Leeds United for two years from 2012, accused Haigh of falsifying £3m of invoices, which he adamantly denies and claims he was tricked into coming to Dubai in order to have him arrested and imprisoned indefinitely without charge.

After over a year since he was first imprisoned, Mr Haigh was sentenced by the Dubai Criminal Court on Tuesday, but he is planning to appeal against the decision.

A spokesperson for Haigh told Arabian Business: “He maintains his innocence… He will be appealing immediately.”

Mr Haigh’s funds were frozen earlier this summer, therefore he is left to represent himself and couldn’t afford to pay a legal team.

In addition, he has also launched a counter-case against his former employers, accusing them of engaging in human trafficking.

GFH chief executive Hisham Al Rayes and Jinesh Patel, a Leeds director, are the subject of Haigh’s case, which argues that they enticed him to Dubai to make an offer of a new London-based job.

Mr Haigh has already served 15 months behind bars, so he may be released as early as September.

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