José Antonio López-Monis, the chief executive of Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) has been arrested in Dubai, the contractor’s parent firm has confirmed.
In a statement released on its website, CIMIC Group, the Australian construction giant that owns 45% of HLG, said that the CEO was arrested by Dubai Police as a result of a complaint filed.
“As a result of a complaint filed with police in Dubai, the CEO and MD of HLG, José Antonio López-Monís, was arrested after market close on Wednesday 17, August 2016,” the statement said.
CIMIC added that HLG was assisting López-Monis and that more information would be released once it became available.
López-Monis joined HLG in October 2012, having previously served as director of Global Business Development at Dragados, the Spanish construction company. He had previously held senior management roles within the company in the USA, South Africa, the Middle East, Colombia, Ecuador and Ireland.
Formed in 2007 following the merger of the UAE-based Al Habtoor Engineering and Gulf Leighton, CIMIC Group’s original operating company in the region, HLG is one of the largest contractors in the UAE.
Its portfolio of projects includes the Fakeeh Academic Medical Centre, Dubai Pearl and Jewel of the Creek in Dubai, amongst many others. It also works on projects across the region, with operations in Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
MEConstructionNews.com was unable to reach HLG for a comment on the matter.