An Apprentice star faces being jailed in Dubai over a ‘bounced cheque’ that she insists she never wrote.
Selina Waterman-Smith, who starred on the hit BBC show in 2015, spoke of her ‘living hell’ as she revealed she has been warned she faces being locked up if she doesn’t pay £27,750 – despite claiming she never wrote any cheque.
She claims she has been the victim of harassment and extortion for nearly five years after a former business associate exploited a loophole in the UAE that meant she could be convicted while she was abroad.
Ms Waterman-Smith, 39, says she was found guilty in her absence without any examination of the evidence as the complainant had supplied the wrong contact information for her.
The reality-show star claims the man, from South Africa, has been harassing and extorting her since 2019, prompting her to file a complaint with the Dubai Police.
Apprentice star Selina Waterman-Smith faces being jailed in Dubai over a ‘bounced cheque’ that she insists she never wrote
She said the whole ordeal caused her a nervous breakdown and while she was also diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), anaemia, adrenal exhaustion, a kidney infection, and hair loss from acute stress.
As a result of the court ruling against her, Ms Waterman-Smith has been stuck in the UAE with a travel ban for two years, without a bank account or medical insurance, a blocked trade license, and a soon-to-be-canceled residency visa.
She said: ‘There have been times in the last two years where I have suffered extreme depression, as I can’t see any other way of escaping his abuse.
‘He [the unnamed businessman] seems to relish having power over me and destroying a strong woman.
‘A man so brazen about threats, harassment, and committing fraud, is a real danger to me, and potentially other female victims.’
Ms Waterman-Smith, who made it as far as week nine on the Apprentice, claims the male complainant initially posed as a wealthy investor and reached out to her growing restaurant business in 2018.
The businesswoman, who starred on the hit BBC show in 2015, spoke of her ‘living hell’ as she revealed she has been warned she faces being locked up if she doesn’t pay £27,750 – despite claiming she never wrote any cheque
But after their business arrangement broke down, she says he started demanding a salary from the business, an allowance to rent office space, and regular dividends – despite not investing the agreed capital.
Ms Waterman-Smith claims when she refused his request he became ‘very aggressive’ and would threaten her over the phone – leaving her in a constant state of fear and stress.
She later says she discovered his back story had been ‘fabricated’ and he wasn’t legally permitted to invest in the UAE.
And she claims she has since been subjected to a campaign of threats, cyber-harassment and phone calls from people claiming to be connected to him.
Some Instagram messages have come in the form of threats about ‘getting revenge’.
Ms Waterman-Smith said the man has also since launched his own rival food company with an almost identical concept to hers.
She added: ‘He continued to cyberstalk me daily, via threats and invasive action, and find ways to intimidate me wherever I was.
‘The love-bombing in the beginning with grand claims about his potential contribution to my business, and then his switch into an aggressive monster leads me to believe that this is narcissistic abuse.’
She claims she has also repeatedly spoken to police and lawyers about the ongoing abuse, which has now been going on for nearly five years.
She added: ‘Whenever I’ve spoken to authorities they’ve advised me that I had done nothing wrong legally and to “ignore him”, and that he would eventually get bored.’ Sadly, this has not been the reality.
Ms Waterman-Smith said she eventually had little choice but to eventually close her business – writing off her own £75,000 investment.
But she claims the abuse continued and he was kept tabs on her movements via her social media and when she left the UAE in 2021 for a much-needed vacation, he filed a civil case just a few days later – over a bounced cheque.
This carried a draconian punishment in the UAE including seizure of assets, a travel ban, and jail time.
She says no cheque was mentioned in his testimony, but instead he allegedly claimed that she borrowed money from him and refused to return it – a claim she denies.
Waterman-Smith, who was previously spoken about being kidnapped and attacked by three men, said: ‘I will probably always have PTSD after being kidnapped and assaulted in 2013, especially when it comes to trusting men, and what I find most upsetting here is that I think this is why he targeted me, assuming that because I’m vulnerable I would be easier to manipulate.
‘When I refused a lot of his demands for money, he resorted to more immoral tactics.’
Despite her claim that there is no evidence, the court has refused to grant an appeal, claiming that his testimony is sufficient, and due to Sharia Law are unwilling to overturn the original decision of the judge.
London-based organisation Detained in Dubai, which is supporting MsWaterman-Smith, confirmed there was no financial proof of any cheque in the full case file, which was never examined in court.
After winning the case in absentia in 2021, and being awarded funds seized from her personal savings account, Ms Waterman-Smith said she was sent a new threat demanding a further £65,000, which she ignored on advice from her lawyer.
She added: ‘He’s even claimed in his testimony my business ideas were his – despite us operating for two years before he approached me.
Ms Waterman-Smith said she eventually had little choice but to eventually close her business – writing off her own £75,000 investment
‘Now he’s filed a bounced cheque case but the case mentions a personal loan without any bank statements or proof, so clearly even he is confused as to the reason he’s demanding money this time round.’
Radha Stirling, of Detained in Dubai, said: ‘Securing a conviction against a rival in the UAE is often simply as easy as making an accusation, as we see in Selina’s case.
‘No substantial evidence is required, no proof, and the accused is frequently never even made aware of the case until they discover they have been convicted.
‘It is disturbing that Selina decided to give the country a second chance after the nightmare of her violent assault 10 years prior, only to once again find herself victimised by both a ruthless predator and the legal system that unquestioningly took his side.
‘It is a harrowing and cautionary tale – one of countless others – that Western tourists and business people should keep uppermost in their minds when considering visiting or moving to the UAE.
