Dh10 million row over 'fake' slimming injections ends in court defeat

Dubai: A business dispute between two pharmaceutical companies in Dubai over a multimillion-dirham shipment of slimming injections has ended in court, with judges rejecting a compensation claim worth more than Dh10 million due to lack of evidence.

According to court filings, the plaintiff, a pharmaceutical supplier, alleged that the defendant falsely accused it of delivering counterfeit products, prompting health inspectors to carry out an unannounced investigation of its warehouse.

The supplier said the allegations caused reputational harm and financial losses and sought Dh10.44 million in damages.

The defendant denied the claims, explaining that it had merely questioned a suspicious price offer Dh1,734 per injection, for a shipment of 6,000 units. 

The company said it contacted the original manufacturer, which confirmed that the product was counterfeit and that it had no dealings with the supplier, leading the defendant to halt all negotiations. 

It insisted that it never filed a formal complaint against the supplier and was not responsible for triggering the inspection.

In its ruling, the Dubai Civil Court emphasized that the burden of proof lies with the plaintiff and that compensation requires establishing fault, damage, and causation. 

The court found the supplier failed to present documents proving wrongdoing or harm caused by the defendant and concluded that the claim was unsubstantiated.

The case was dismissed in full, with the court ordering the plaintiff to cover legal fees and court expenses.