Fugitive U.S. businessman deported to UAE from Yemen

Fugitive U.S. businessman deported to UAE from Yemen

"Zack Shahin has been deported to the UAE at the request of the UAE government," said the security official, who asked not to be named under briefing rules.

September 2, 2012 1:02 by Reuters

An American businessman who fled from the United Arab Emirates to Yemen last month after being released on bail, has been deported back to the UAE, a Yemeni security official said on Sunday.

Zack Shahin, former chief executive of Dubai real estate developer Deyaar, was detained in 2008 over embezzlement charges, and went on a hunger strike in jail in May.

He was released on $1.4 million bail after Washington expressed concern about his health, and fled to Yemen, where he was arrested last month.

“Zack Shahin has been deported to the UAE at the request of the UAE government,” said the security official, who asked not to be named under briefing rules.

Shahin’s flight to Yemen and deportation may embarrass U.S. authorities, who have exerted pressure on theUAE to resolve his case. There have been hearings on his case in Dubai, but no judgment.

Dubai government officials and the U.S. embassy in the UAE were not available for comment.