UAE: Woman sues male friend for refusing to return Dh3.2 million; case dismissed

The lawsuit had earlier been rejected based on lack of sufficient evidence, appeals court upheld the ruling

Published: Wed 1 Feb 2023, 9:00 AM

Updated: Wed 1 Feb 2023, 2:21 PM

By
Ismail Sebugwaawo

File photo

A woman who sued a young man for allegedly refusing to return Dh3.2 million which he borrowed from her, has had her case dismissed on appeal.

The Abu Dhabi Appeals Court for Family and Civil Administrative Claims upheld a ruling by the Court of First Instance which had rejected the woman’s lawsuit due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The woman had filed the lawsuit against the man demanding that he return the Dh3.2 million he borrowed from her.

The plaintiff indicated that she had a social relationship with the defendant, and he asked her to lend him some money to invest into real estate projects that would generate large profits for them.

She said she lent him Dh3.2 million and that the plaintiff also asked her to sign for him open and blank cheques which were to be used in the field of his investments, as a guarantee for the purchase of some properties in instalments. She said that because of the trust she had in him, she handed him the cheques.

The woman noted that when she asked the man to return the money and the cheques after a period of time, he refused so she filed a criminal complaint against him.

The plaintiff also attached a document to her claim with scanned copies of WhatsApp messages, the receipts for cash deposits in the defendant's bank account and bank transfers.

The man had denied the woman’s claims stressing that the plaintiff gave him Dh2.8 million which was meant for a joint investment. He said she also wrote the cheques in his names and that her claims that he refused to return the money or the cheques were baseless.

The court of first instance had earlier issued a ruling dismissing the case for lack of sufficient evidence and obliged the plaintiff to pay for the defendant’s legal expenses.

The woman challenged the verdict to appeals court which has maintained the lower court’s ruling.

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