Thursday morning exclusive: Ex-Leeds United MD David Haigh on his Dubai nightmare

The 38-year-old, a director at Leeds United for just over a year in 2013-14 after leading former owners GFH Capital’s negotiations to acquire the club, was arrested in Dubai in May 2014.

He returned home last month after nearly two years in custody, the majority of which were spent in a temporary police holding centre. In 2015 he was convicted of falsifying invoices to embezzle more than £3m from GFH, his former employers.

Mr Haigh was due to be released in November last year after being convicted of fraud, but was charged with a further offence of slander in relation to comments made on Twitter while he was in jail. He was later cleared of the offence.

In his interview, Mr Haigh talks in detail about the moment of his arrest in Dubai after he flew out to discuss a possible job, and the conditions in Dubai’s notorious penal system.

Later this week, the businessman will lift the lid on his turbulent time at Leeds United and his relationship with owners GFH, who remain a minority shareholder.