The case was filed by a bank seeking over Dh516,000.
The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court of First Instance has ordered a man to repay Dh486,124 to a bank after cashing nine forged cheques, ruling that the funds were obtained without a legal basis.
The court also ordered the defendant to pay Dh30,000 in compensation, finding that the bank’s payment of the forged cheques constituted an undue payment that resulted in unjust enrichment.
The case was filed by the bank, which sought over Dh516,000, along with compensation for financial and moral damages, Emarat Al Youm reported. It stated that the cheques were proven to be forged under a prior court ruling and that the bank was required to reimburse the account holder.
A court-appointed expert confirmed that 10 cheques were forged, nine of which were encashed over a one-year period, amounting to Dh486,124. The court excluded one cheque that had not been cashed.
The defendant claimed he was unaware the cheques were forged and sought to include another party in the case, but the court rejected both arguments, stating that he was the direct beneficiary of the funds.
The court ruled that forged cheques have no legal validity as commercial instruments, entitling the bank to recover the amounts paid. It ordered the defendant to repay the sum with 3 per cent annual interest until full settlement, in addition to covering legal costs.
