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Dubai court awards Dh4.7 million to investor cheated of gold and cryptocurrency
The convict was ordered to return Dh4.4 million in stolen assets plus Dh300,000 as compensation for breach of trust
- PUBLISHED: Fri 14 Aug 2026, 3:30 PM
An investor who entrusted a man with assets including six kilograms of gold and cryptocurrency has been awarded more than Dh4.7 million by a Dubai court after the man cheated him.
The Dubai Civil Court ordered the defendant to return Dh4.4 million, representing the value of the misappropriated assets, and pay the investor an additional Dh300,000 in compensation for damages.
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The ruling follows an earlier criminal case in which the Dubai Misdemeanours and Violations Court convicted the defendant of breach of trust. He was sentenced to three years in prison, ordered to be deported from the UAE and fined Dh4.4 million.
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According to court records, the investor had entrusted the defendant with assets that included six kilograms of gold and cryptocurrency under an agency arrangement.
However, the defendant misappropriated the assets entrusted to him, prompting criminal proceedings. The criminal court found him guilty of breach of trust, and the judgment subsequently became final.
Following the conviction, the investor filed a civil lawsuit seeking the return of the value of the assets as well as compensation for the damages he suffered.
In its ruling, the civil court said the final criminal judgment had conclusively established that the defendant committed the offence and misappropriated assets belonging to the investor.
The court explained that because the criminal judgment had become final, the defendant’s responsibility for the offence could not be reconsidered during the civil proceedings.
The civil court’s role was therefore limited to examining the damage resulting from the established offence and determining the amount the investor was entitled to recover.
On the claim for restitution, the court ordered the defendant to pay Dh4.4 million, representing the value of the assets proven to have been embezzled.
It additionally awarded the investor Dh300,000 in compensation for the damages resulting from the offence.
The defendant was also ordered to pay legal interest on the awarded amounts, in addition to court fees and expenses.
The judgment reflects a key legal principle — findings established by a final criminal ruling are binding on a civil court considering compensation from the same offence. Once criminal responsibility is established, civil proceedings focus solely on determining the financial damage caused. The court then decides what compensation is due to the affected party.