SHARJAH: A 55-year-old Filipino inmate has been set free by the Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishments so he could fly back home and get treated for his life-threatening medical condition.
The debt-ridden inmate was diagnosed with cancer while serving his penal sentence at the Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishments.
Brigadier Ahmad Abdul Aziz Shuhail, Director-General of the Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishments, told Gulf News the inmate was arrested in 2018 over financial issues as he had run into a debt worth Dh85,000. The Filipino had also served 13 months in jail in connection with an ongoing rental case, but the Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishment settled the case and repaid his debts.
The Filipino prisoner told officers he could not believe what the authorities had done and was very thankful to them.
The establishment also provided him with a ticket to fly back to Manila, bought him some essential necessities and dropped him off to Dubai Airport. They also contacted his family back home, so they could receive him.
This is not the first time the authorities have helped repay debts of to help reform them and start a new life.
The Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishments, in cooperation with its partners, has contributed millions of dirhams to compensate victims of crimes in an effort to help convicts rebuild their lives.
