Disputes worth Dh1.5B resolved out of court

sharjah — Financial disputes amounting to over Dh1.5 billion were settled amicably out of court and the money given to their rightful owners by the Sharjah Police in the last five years, as part of the ‘Reconciliation is the best solution’ initiative.

Al Buhairah, Al Gharb and Hira comprehensive police stations resolved 3,555 disputes in 2019 and restored Dh197 million to the owners, pointed out Dr Khalifa Kalender, director of the Police Stations Department at Sharjah Police General Headquarters.

He added that the statistics show that the police stations recovered around Dh464 million from borrowers in 2015. They amicably solved 5,167 disputes in 2016, which resulted in restoring over Dh345 million to their owners. The police stations also solved 6,923 cases in 2017 and handed over Dh348 million to the complainants. In 2018, the police stations resolved 6,210 cases and restored Dh313 million.

He added that the initiative, which was launched in 2011, has achieved its goals during the previous years. It helped solve financial disputes amicably between two warring parties and reduce the number of bounced cheque cases. The initiative aimed at protecting the creditor’s rights and ensuring that their money is restored to them. “It contributed to reduce loads of files referred to the public prosecution and courts,” the official underlined. Dr Kalender said: “The initiative’s goal is also to achieve the objectives of the Ministry of Interior’s strategic plan aimed at maintaining the public’s confidence in providing distinguished and high-quality services.”

Dr Kalender explained that the police stations initially accept the case without establishing a lawsuit and offer to resolve the dispute amicably. “If the creditor accepts the offer, the police station refers the case to the financial dispute department to solve the issue amicably between the two parties. Defaulted debtors who have a record of the same crime would not be able to benefit from the initiative. The dispute section call the debtor to the police station to discuss the possibility of paying off his debts. The debtor is given a maximum period of three months to pay off his debts and when he returns the amount, the police notify the complainant.”