Dubai: Prosecutors are seeking to play a humanitarian and correctional role and help out 183 detainees, who caused fatal accidents, by settling a total of Dh30.6 million in unpaid blood monies.

Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution [TPP] has been communicating with charity organisations and insurance companies to assist 183 defendants, who caused fatalities in car accidents between 2013 and 2014 and remain behind bars for not being able to pay a pending total of Dh30.6 million in blood money to victims’ families, said a top prosecutor on Tuesday.

“TPP is doing its best to play a charitable and correctional role through having that pending amount settled by insurance companies and/or charitable organisations and help those detainees finish with their ordeal and have them released,” said Prosecutor General Salah Bu Farousha, TPP’s Head.

TPP regularly communicates with insurance companies where the drivers who caused the fatal accidents had their cars insured, to deposit the blood money [Dh200,000 per victim] at the soonest to avoid the convicted drivers being stuck in prison for failing to pay blood money, he said.

Bu Farousha’s comments came in light of the release of a detainee, who had been in prison since January 2015 although he had completed his imprisonment as he could not afford to pay Dh200,000 in blood money.

“The Traffic Court convicted that defendant of involvement in a tragic accident and causing a death and sentenced him to one month and a fine. The Appeal Court upheld the primary ruling that later became final. The convict completed his punishment in January 2015 but since he did not pay the blood money, he could not be released. We reviewed his social status and discovered that he is the sole breadwinner for his wife and children. We contacted Dubai Islamic Bank’s Dubai Islamic Humanitarian Organisation that paid the pending blood money on behalf of the detainee, who was released after having legalised his status,” TPP’s Head said.

Traffic prosecutors have been playing this compassionate role upon the directives of Dubai’s Attorney-General, Essam Eisa Al Humaidan, Bu Farousha said.