Crash victim's father runs away with Dh200,000

Dubai: A man crippled in a horrific car crash has alleged that his father has abandoned him after taking more than Dh200,000 from his accident compensation payout.

Saeed Abdullah, who used to work as a textiles salesman in Dubai, said his father had run away to their home country of Pakistan with the money — part of the Dh800,000 payout a Sharjah court had awarded Abdullah in 2008.

An Emirati driver was held liable for the crash on Emirates Road in 2005, which had paralysed Abdullah from the neck down.

Deal behind his back

The 32-year-old said instead of paying the compensation up front, the driver and his father "cut another deal behind my back".

The father allegedly took Dh200,000 and the driver was told to pay the rest in monthly instalments of Dh15,000. The father had a Power of Attorney that allowed him to act on behalf of Abdullah.

"But I was kept in the dark about the whole thing. I only found out when I confronted my father about the money. He admitted taking the money and hiding it from me. He said he deserved it for raising me. He fled to Pakistan earlier this year and I haven't seen him since then," Abdullah said.

He added that the driver has refused to pay further in the case. "He says he doesn't have the money. ‘Do what you want', he tells me," Abdullah said and added that he has filed a police complaint against the driver.

Meanwhile, he said his health is getting worse. "I don't have a job, money or visa. I can't buy medicines and opt for physiotherapy. My legs are turning inwards and my hands are curling up into fists. I want to at least go to the bathroom on my own."

Abdullah is looked after by his older brother Mohammad Usman at a flat in Sharjah.

Usman, 34, is a self-employed gardener who said he has no work because he has to care for Abdullah round the clock.

"My brother has difficulty in breathing and starts choking sometimes — how will he survive if I'm not there? We're mostly surviving on loans from friends. Our father has cheated and abandoned us. We're in this mess because of him. He has tried to legally disown us in Pakistan," Usman said.

Abdullah, married with three children, added: "I called my father last Eid — he's still my father — but he doesn't want to talk about this."

Those who wish to help Saeed Abdullah can write to editor@alnisrmedia.com