Five Men Ordered to Refund Dh600,000 After Posing as Police Officers

A Dubai civil court has ordered five men to jointly repay Dh600,000 they stole from a man after impersonating police officers. The court also directed them to pay Dh50,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, together with legal interest at a rate of five per cent from the date the civil case was filed.

The ruling followed a civil lawsuit brought by the victim, who sought recovery of the stolen amount, legal interest and Dh150,000 in damages, relying on a final criminal judgment that had convicted the defendants of theft through impersonation of law enforcement officials.

The incident took place late at night in a commercial area, where the defendants stopped the victim near an office building and displayed what appeared to be a military identification card. Claiming to be investigators, they searched him, seized his mobile phone, bank cards and a bag containing Dh600,000, and instructed him to wait for another unit to arrive before fleeing the scene.

Following the complaint, authorities identified and arrested the suspects and referred them to the Public Prosecution. A criminal court subsequently convicted the five men, sentencing each to six months’ imprisonment, imposing a collective fine of Dh600,000 and ordering their deportation.

After the criminal judgment became final, the victim pursued a civil claim. Although the defendants were properly notified, they failed to attend the proceedings. The court therefore treated the case as heard in their presence and ruled that the final criminal judgment was binding on the civil court with respect to the facts of the offence and the defendants’ liability.

In its reasoning, the court held that the criminal verdict conclusively established the occurrence of the theft, its legal classification and the defendants’ involvement, leaving no scope to reconsider those issues in the civil proceedings. It found the defendants civilly liable for both the financial loss and the psychological harm suffered by the victim.

The court ordered the defendants, jointly and severally, to repay the full Dh600,000, pay interest at five per cent from the date the claim was filed until full settlement, and compensate the victim Dh50,000 in damages, while dismissing all other claims.

For any enquiries or information, contact ask@tlr.ae or call us on +971 52 644 3004. Follow The Law Reporters on WhatsApp Channels.