UAE: Man fined Dh10,000 for embezzling Dh40,000

The Ras Al Khaimah Misdemeanour Court has ordered an Arab man to pay a fine of Dh10,000 after being found guilty of embezzling Dh40,000 from a compatriot.

Court records show that the accused conned the victim by claiming to buy him a plot of land on the Emirates Road in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah for Dh50,000 only.

“He promised to help me buy a plot of land for Dh50,000, and I gave him an advance of Dh20,000 around the end of 2019,” the victim told the court.

Two weeks later, the accused called the plaintiff claiming to have bought him the plot of land that needed some materials (for levelling) costing Dh10,000, the complainant added.

“Three months later, he called me again and claimed to have got me another premium land on the Emirates Road at Al Jazirah Al Hamra, and requested for Dh10,000 more.”

The plaintiff told the court that he paid the defendant Dh40,000 in all without getting the land he promised.

“He told me that he would return the full money, in case of not getting the land,” he said, pointing out that one of his friends heard the phone call, with all details.

The witness friend affirmed that the accused promised to give back the money if he could not arrange the land.

The witness told the court that he called the accused two days later to end the dispute in an amicable way, but he denied getting any money.

The defendant denied all the charges, and told the court that he did not collect any money from the plaintiff. “It is his cousin who pushed him to file a lawsuit against me because of an old dispute.”

In its ruling, the court stated that it was certain, based on the submitted evidence, that the accused did embezzle Dh40,000 by conning the victim about the claimed plot of land.

The court ordered the defendant to pay a fine of Dh10,000, and referred the case to the civil court concerned to order the due compensation.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com