Dubai: An Indian philanthropist and business man has pledged to provide Dh40,000 monthly to fund air tickets for released prisoners to go back to their countries.
Firoz Merchant, the founder and chairman of a few gold stores in the UAE, signed a memorandum of understanding with Farak Fund to help the released prisoners.
He is also providing financial help to an Ajman police officer suffering from a neurological disorder. He will be allocating Dh60,000 for the policeman’s Chinese acupuncture treatment in Jordan. “In unity with the ‘Year of Giving’ initiative, we are working with the prison and law enforcement authorities to help insolvent prisoners, as well as members of the police force who work hard to ensure we continue to live in a secure and happy community,” said Merchant.
In January 2017, Merchant also pledged $1 million (Dh3.6 million) to pay off the debts of expatriates who have landed in jail.
He visited the Ajman Central Jail to help secure the release of the first batch of 132 prisoners whose combined borrowings worth Dh150,000 were settled.
Each prisoner was also provided an air ticket and extra money to cover the transportation expenses once they reach their home country.
The first batch of prisoners who have been freed are expatriates from Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, Oman and Ghana. The jewellery trader had allocated Dh30,000 per person to secure the release of the borrowers.
