EXCLUSIVE: ACI boss denies buying six Bentleys, private jet

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ACI Real Estate chief Robin Lohmann on Wednesday hit back at allegations that he funded a lavish lifestyle using investors’ cash.

In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, to be published in full on Sunday, the German developer – behind several branded sports buildings including the Michael Schumacher Business Avenue and Boris Becker Business Tower – said: "No, I don’t have a private jet for seventeen million Euros and my father never needed to cancel an order for a private jet anywhere in the world."

He also described as "nonsense" the suggestions "that I have purchased six Bentley GTs, each for 200,000 euros ($278,000), so I could have one for each working day...this isn’t true, you can go to the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) and check for yourself."

Lohmann has faced stern criticism in the German media, after investors who put up to 50m euros into his Development Funds did not receive payments, due in March this year.

The ACI managing director said that payments relating to the branded towers were not due until 2012, and that the allegations were part of a campaign against him by the owners of the German website gomopa.net, about whom he has discovered "interesting things" through his own investigations.  

This week the site also alleged that he was planning to move to South America, and had already arranged for a new passport. "Maybe you will read in the future that I needed to buy 30 bicycles, for each day in the month, the reason might be that I was not able to pay for my petrol anymore because I send all my money to Bahrain and Belize.

"In this article (referring to the German website claims) it is also mentioned that my father and myself have ordered two South American passports for 750,000 euros from a company located in Panama...We are more than happy with our German passports and we never faced any problem with our passports."

Don't miss Robin Lohmann’s full interview in Sunday's edition of Arabian Business

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Posted by: rima

WHEN ROBIN LOHMANN FOUND THAT HE CAN NOT NEVER EVER BE A DEVELOPER AFTER 5 OR MORE YEARS HE PREFERRED TO OPEN A SUBSTITUTION BUSSINESS THIS IS WHAT HE DECIDED TO DO.... HILARIOS:ALL WATER FRONT INVESTERS TRANSFER TO BUSSINESS BAY,ALL DUBAILAND INVESTORS MUST TRANSFER TO SOMEWHERE NEAR MARINA AND THE PLOT NO IS STILL UNKNOWN ALL JUMAIRAH VILLAGE INVESTORS TRANSFER TO DUBAILAND AND BUSSINESS BAY INVESTORS HAVE TO TRANSFER TO FALKON CITY AND THIS CIRCLE WILL CONTINUE TILL HE GET HIS PASSPORT AND RUN AWAY FROM DUBAI.

Posted by: hamdan

it's not important for aci's investors if he has bently or bicycle.we paid money for building ,for construction to have home ,we hope to have deal with a real developer we tried hard to make money in our countries and came to dubai in hope of aperfet life.we didnt know that the money we paid to LOHMANN paid for his private parties an 7 to 15 percent commission to real etates worked for him and the billboards on sheikh zayed road and his advertisements YES lohmann YOU BECAME DUBAI'S DARLING BY THE MONEY WE PAID FOR CONSTRUCTION BUT YOU PAID IN OTHER WAYS.it's not acomplicated issue you paid our money somewhere else and your previos debts you havn't built the projects you launched 4 or 5 years ago and in that time the market was good.you just played in a big show with aci's investors i think 45 % of a project payment is enough for you to start construction but unfortunately you dont have a specified land for the buildings you launched like WINGS OF ARABIA ,you're just playing with words to buy time and its not like 8 months ago everybody knows who you are so be honest and the time you,re buying will be finished one day we will see you then.

Posted by: Hamad Khaled

As they refused to refund, I asked them to transfer my unit that I bought back in 2007 in one of the delayed projects to another that is on track. so they offered me to buy the new unit with 2008 high prices !! sooo Unfair !!

Posted by: Peter

" . . . after investors who put up to 50m euros into his Development Funds did not receive payments, due in March this year." THIS is the only relevant statement in Robin Lohmann's "hitting back". I hope, Sunday's full interview will contain true and clear statement to the REALLY relevant allegations, which are: 1. Collateral for the EU investors in form of reservation contracts without real value? 2. Progress and schedule of all ACI projects without delays or at least with move forward? 3. How will ACI handle complaints, cases and claims from buyers in Dubai - opened aganist ACI at Dubai Police and Dubai Court / Public Prosecution? 4. How did Lohmann fund his Falcon Ltd. with the required moneys for all these reservation agreements? 5. When will ACI publish a serious cash-in / cash-out statement - at least towards its shareholders? 6. Is Robin Lohmann's passport deposited or not? No one is interested in his deny of luxury life allegations - but MUCH MUCH more in clear facts about the named serious questions!

Posted by: OHT

Enough of these ridiculous gossips/false allegations already! Dubai has given so much to expats and locals alike and it is now time to give back (Let us not forget that). When the economy was intact everyone/every country was proud & running to link their names with this great country. A little bit of gratefulness wouldn?t hurt anyone. God bless the UAE, protect Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed and all its leaders.

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