The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court has ordered a man to repay Dh24,800 to a woman after she mistakenly transferred the amount to his bank account and he refused to return it.
In addition to the refund, the court ordered the defendant to pay Dh3,000 in compensation for the financial and emotional harm suffered by the claimant.
According to court records, the woman accidentally transferred the money to the defendant’s account and immediately contacted him upon discovering the error. Despite her request, the man refused to return the funds and instead proposed repaying the amount in instalments, prompting her to file a lawsuit, Emarat Al Youm reported.
The case was supported by a prior criminal judgment that found the defendant guilty of unlawfully retaining the money. During the civil proceedings, the man asked the court to limit its ruling to repayment of the original amount, reject the compensation claim, and allow repayment in instalments. He claimed he acted in good faith and had attempted to resolve the matter amicably.
In its reasoning, the court said the criminal ruling had already established the facts of unlawful appropriation, which were binding on the civil court. As a result, the defendant was legally obliged to return the full amount.
On compensation, the court cited the Civil Transactions Law, which provides that compensation is due once fault, damage, and causation are proven. The court found that the defendant’s actions caused material damage, including recovery costs and loss of benefit, as well as moral damage in the form of stress and anxiety.
The court ordered the defendant to repay Dh24,800, pay Dh3,000 in compensation, and cover all court fees and expenses, dismissing all other claims.
