The Dubai Court of First Instance has ordered five defendants to jointly repay AED 600,000 they stole from a man after impersonating criminal investigation officers, in addition to paying AED 50,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, along with legal interest at a rate of 5% calculated from the date the lawsuit was filed until full payment.

According to court records, the victim filed a civil lawsuit demanding that the defendants jointly return the stolen amount, pay legal interest, and provide compensation of AED 150,000.

His claim was based on a previous criminal judgment that had convicted the defendants of stealing the same amount after falsely presenting themselves as police officers.

The plaintiff stated that the defendants stopped him late at night near an office in a commercial area, showed him a military identification card, and convinced him they were investigation officers.

They then searched him and seized his mobile phone, bank cards, and a bag containing AED 600,000. The defendants asked him to wait under the pretext that another security unit was on its way, before fleeing the scene.

Following the report, the competent authorities acted promptly, identified the suspects, arrested them, and referred them to the Public Prosecution, which conducted investigations and transferred the case to the criminal court. A final criminal ruling sentenced the defendants to six months’ imprisonment, fined them AED 600,000, and ordered their deportation from the country.

After the criminal judgment became final and binding, the victim filed a civil claim, supported by an official certificate from the Public Prosecution confirming the finality of the criminal ruling.

Despite being legally notified, the defendants failed to appear before the civil court, leading the court to consider the judgment as issued in their presence.

In its reasoning, the court stressed that the criminal judgment had acquired res judicata status, which binds the civil court regarding the occurrence of the crime, its legal description, and its attribution to the defendants, in accordance with the Evidence Law and the Criminal Procedure Law.

The court further noted that the victim suffered direct financial damage due to the loss of the stolen amount, as well as moral harm in the form of distress and anxiety caused by the crime.

Consequently, the court found the claim for compensation to be legally justified.

The ruling concluded by ordering the defendants to jointly repay AED 600,000, pay legal interest at 5% from the date of the claim until settlement, and compensate the victim with AED 50,000, while rejecting all other claims.