Abu Dhabi Court orders man to repay Dh240,000 and pay damages over bounced cheques

Dubai: A civil court in Abu Dhabi has ordered a man to repay Dh240,000 to another individual and awarded an additional Dh20,000 in damages, after finding that he had issued two cheques without sufficient funds, Al Khaleej newspaper reported.

The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court ruled that the defendant was liable for both the value of the cheques and compensation for the material and moral harm caused to the complainant. 

The case stemmed from a commercial dispute in which the defendant had issued the cheques as part of a financial obligation but failed to honor them.

The complainant told the court that the defendant wrote two cheques totaling Dh240,000 that were returned due to insufficient funds. 

A prior criminal case had already found the defendant guilty of issuing the bad cheques, resulting in a Dh40,000 fine. Despite the ruling, the defendant refused to settle the debt, prompting the complainant to file a civil suit demanding repayment of the cheque value and Dh50,000 in additional damages.

In its reasoning, the court emphasized that the criminal conviction, which had become final, clearly established the defendant’s liability. 

Since the defendant failed to appear or provide evidence of repayment, the court said the complainant’s case rested on solid legal and factual grounds.

On the damages claim, the court noted that issuing cheques without funds constitutes an unlawful act that caused both material and emotional harm. 

The complainant, the judgment stated, suffered financial loss from being deprived of the funds, as well as moral distress and harm to dignity. While rejecting the full damages sought, the court awarded Dh20,000 as reasonable compensation.