An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a man convicted of fraud to repay more than Dh15,800 to a woman he deceived by falsely claiming he could secure her husband’s release from prison.
The Abu Dhabi Family and Civil Administrative Claims Court ruled that the defendant must return Dh15,850 obtained through fraudulent means and pay an additional Dh1,500 in compensation for the material and moral harm suffered by the victim. He was also ordered to shoulder court fees and legal costs.
Court records show the woman filed a civil case after the man persuaded her to hand over the money, promising to intervene on her husband’s behalf. The civil action followed a criminal case in which the defendant was found guilty of fraud and fined, with the judgment already final.
In its decision, the court said the criminal conviction conclusively established that fraud had occurred and that the defendant was responsible, leaving no room to dispute liability in the related civil case. The defendant did not appear in court and presented no evidence that the amount had been repaid or that the dispute had been settled.
Citing the Civil Transactions Law, the court stressed that anyone who causes harm to another is legally obliged to compensate for the damage. Judges found the woman suffered clear financial loss as well as emotional distress due to the deception.
The court concluded that the fraudulent act resulted in both material damage and moral suffering, justifying compensation, and ordered full repayment of the amount taken along with damages.
