Abu Dhabi Court Orders Man to Repay Dh182,000 Embezzled From Employer

The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court has ordered a man to repay Dh182,062 to his employer after finding him guilty of embezzling company funds. The court also imposed a fine of Dh12,500 for material and moral damages.

The defendant was convicted of misappropriating his workplace’s money for personal use, which adversely affected the institution’s standing as a profit-making entity. Records also showed he had a prior criminal conviction.

The institution filed a lawsuit demanding Dh182,062 in compensation for material and moral losses, as well as fees and expenses, in addition to a further Dh50,000 in damages.

The court found that the defendant had indeed embezzled company funds and failed to provide any evidence disproving the sum established in the criminal ruling. The judges concluded that the claim was legally and factually sound and ordered him to repay the full amount.

On assessing the compensation claim, the court noted that the company had suffered tangible financial loss due to the defendant’s actions and his subsequent imprisonment, which deprived it of his services. The court therefore granted material compensation of Dh5,000.

Additionally, the court recognised that the company suffered moral harm, including damage to its commercial reputation and loss of public trust in the market. Such harm, though indirect, reflected a decline in the company’s moral and professional standing due to the defendant’s unlawful conduct.

As a result, the court awarded moral compensation of Dh2,500, bringing the total amount of fines imposed on the defendant to Dh12,500.