Apprentice star facing prison in Dubai over ‘bounced cheque’ which ruined her life

A former The Apprentice star is currently facing prison in Dubai over a 'bounced cheque' which ruined her life.

Selina Waterman-Smith, who appeared on the show back in 2015, has claimed she could be sent to jail if she doesn't cough up a staggering £27,750 for a cheque she allegedly didn't write.

Waterman-Smith has since opened up about the whole ordeal namely that she has been victim of harassment and extortion by a former business colleague for half a decade now.

Speaking to The Mirror, the 39-year-old said it all took a took a turn for the worse when someone used false contact information for her, leading to the court never actually making contact and declaring her guilty by default when she failed to appear.

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She told the outlet she was approached by a man who posed as an investor offering to chip in a hefty £200,000 to her existing business.

The pair later signed an agreement under UK law.

The London-based organisation which is currently supporting Waterman-Smith, Detained in Dubai, has since dubbed the investor a conman who began demanding money from Waterman-Smith's business despite not paying her a single penny.

Clearly taking a toll on the businesswoman's mental health, the Apprentice contestant has since had a nervous breakdown and has now lost her self-made business.

She added: "I am very disappointed that the legal system has unwittingly aided this man committing further fraud and extortion against me.

"He has made his intentions towards me clear in his numerous threats."

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Waterman-Smith is now using her platform to warn other women who may have found themselves in a similar situation.

"I have complained many times as I am scared about these extortionate threats to effectively ruin my life if I don’t keep handing over money to him," she said.

She added: "Everyone from the authorities has said that I haven’t done anything wrong, and to 'ignore him' as he’ll get bored.

"Sadly that has not been the case. My mental health has suffered and I have not been able to escape him for five years. I feel it is my duty to speak out about this, and potentially protect other women."

Speaking of the conman investor, Waterman-Smith revealed she has 'suffered extreme depression' after not being able to 'see any other way of escaping his abuse'.

"He seems to relish having power over me and destroying a strong woman," she claimed. "A man so brazen about threats, harassment and committing fraud, is a real danger to me, and potentially other female victims."

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Detained in Dubai, who has the full case file from the court, has since confirmed: "There is no financial proof such as a cheque, bank statement, or receipt, that a loan or financial transaction ever took place, meaning that his testimony against Selina was accepted at face value, and she was denied a chance to defend herself or share evidence."

The organisation's Radha Stirling 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."