The CEO of the local/Australian contractor Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) has been arrested in Dubai, according to a bourse listing by Australian co-owner Cimic, which owns 45 per cent of HLG.

In a brief statement on the Australian Securities Exchage (ASX) Cimic revealed that Jose Antonio Lopez-Monis was being held in Dubai. The statement offered no details regarding the reason for arrest.

“As a result of a complaint filed with police in Dubai, the CEO and managing director of HLG, José Antonio López-Monís, was arrested after market close on Wednesday, 17 August,” it said.

Lopez-Monis joined HLG in 2012.

In November last year MEED reported that the UAE’s Al-Habtoor Group plans to sell its stake in the construction joint venture Habtoor Leighton Group.

In a television interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya news channel, Al-Habtoor said that the company will focus on 100-per-cent-owned assets, including hotels, real estate and schools.

It is unclear if Al-Habtoor Group is still part of the company with several local media reports in recent months reporting that the company is no longer part of the contractor.

Cimic Group was known as Leighton Group prior to April this year.

In 2007 Leighton Group approached Egypt’s EFG-Hermes, which was appointed to evaluate Al-Habtoor, as it looked for a way to enter the Middle East market.