Family appeals for help after father is jailed

Dubai: An Emirati family is appealing to the authorities to help their sole breadwinner, who is in Umm Al Quwain Central Jail for writing dud cheques.

Amr Sultan Sulaiman, 36, from Umm Al Quwain, will spend the rest of his life behind bars if he fails to pay Dh490,000, which he owes after his mobile phone business ran into difficulty.

Sulaiman, a father of five, said he was worried about his children’s future. They are now living with his wife’s family in Ras Al Khaimah after the family was evicted from their house in Umm Al Quwain for failing to pay the rent.

Sulaiman, who was jailed three months ago, told Gulf News that his life was a nightmare. He worked for the Armed Forces but decided to set up his own business to improve his family’s life.

“My salary was not enough to support my family, including my mother,” he said. “I opened a mobile phone shop in Umm Al Quwain seven years ago and at that time I was still working.”

Sulaiman said that in 2011 his business was not doing well.

“I used to buy mobiles and other items from different companies and give them cheques for payment,” he said.

He said he resigned from the Armed Forces in 2011 to take care of his business.

“I noticed the workers in the shop were cheating me and stealing from me so I decided to run my business by myself,” he said.

He said his debts started to mount up and his business was collapsing after he had to pay traders almost Dh2 million.

“I was forced to sell the shop and the mobiles in order to pay people their money,” said Sulaiman.

He said he managed to pay back almost Dh1.5 million but now can’t afford to feed his family.

“I was scared to leave my kids and go to jail,” he said. “I did my best to pay the money back but still I failed to pay the rest of the money, which is Dh500,000.”

He said he was told he would not be released from prison until he pays what he owes.

“If they jail me until I die I will not be able to pay because I’m in prison,” he said.

He is desperate and does not know what he can do to help his family, he said.

Sulaiman’s wife, Umm Marwan, said she went with her children to stay with her father in Ras Al Khaimah.

“We used to stay with my mother-in-law after we were asked to leave our house,” she said.

She said her mother-in-law is now in hospital and there is no one to support her and her children.

“We are helpless and are calling on the authorities to help us out,” she said.

She said her husband borrowed the money to support his family and run the business but he was unfortunate and lost everything.

Sulaiman’s children Hessa, Shaikah, Shamsa, Mariam and Marwan aged 10, eight, five, three and seven months said they miss their father and want him back home.