Dubai: An elderly Briton visiting his daughter-in-law landed in hot water after he was detained on arrival at Dubai airport in connection with a Dh65,000 cheque he had issued 12 years ago that was later returned by the bank.

The 65-year-old whom prosecutors accuse of signing a cheque that bounced in 1999, pleaded guilty and said he was willing to pay the amount of the cheque when he appeared before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.

"Where have you been away for 12 years? Where have you spent this long period of time?" Presiding Judge Ebrahim Khalil Abu Shamma asked the defendant in courtroom seven.

The visitor, S.J., told the judge that he had left the UAE 12 years ago and that nobody had since informed him about the case or that the cheque had bounced.

"Sir, all this time I have been away. I came to visit my daughter-in-law. I did not know about this until police stopped me at Dubai International Airport because of this cheque case. In 1999 I had a personal accountant and he handled all my bills and accounts and settled everything before I left Dubai. When the cheque bounced, why didn't anybody inform him or send me the receipt to settle this?" S.J. said as he defended himself in court.

When the judge asked him whether he had signed the cheque or not, the defendant said he did not remember at all.

"This happened around 12 years ago… how do you expect me to remember. Honestly I don't remember at all. I settled everything before I left here," he contended.

Offer to settle amount

Then the judge asked him: "Are you guilty or not? Did you sign the cheque?"

S.J. said he honestly could not remember. Then he asked the judge to show him the cheque to verify whether it bore his signature. Presiding Judge Abu Shamma handed the case file to the court's translator, who presented the cheque to the suspect whereupon he admitted that the signature on it was his own.

"I am willing to pay and settle this today or tomorrow… I can't believe this is happening after all this period of time. What do I have to do? I can pay. Where do I pay? I can pay here in the court or at the police station. My passport has been confiscated since I came here… I want to finish this and release my passport," S.J. said.

A real estate agency had lodged the bounced cheque case against S.J.