No prisoners in Dubai are on hunger strike: Police

No prisoners in Dubai are on a hunger strike, Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, has stated.

Major-General Mazeina also clarified that no prisoner serving a sentence for issuing bad cheques is on a hunger strike.

Major-General Mazeina was responding to a report in a British newspaper which claims that some prisoners convicted and serving sentences for issuing bounced cheques were on a hunger strike.

Major-General Mazeina said: “There are legal ways to challenge these provisions before the Courts of Appeal and as well the Cassation Courts.

“Dubai has nothing to hide and certain issues are not founded in facts.

According to the newspaper, the list of nationalities of prisoners included Britons, Irish, Saudis, Bahrainis, Lebanese, Indians and Pakistanis.

Some of those prisoners attributed their sentences to the global financial crisis and its impact on the real estate market in Dubai, stressing that they are victims of this crisis, the report stated.

Judiciary speaks

Speaking on the matter, Head of the Dubai Civil Court Judge Ahmed Ibrahim Saif said sentences against some prisoners means that these issues are beyond the powers of the real estate judiciary committee.

“These cases are then considered by the criminal courts,” he said.

He added that prisoners who are sentenced to several years in jail have issued more than one bad cheque.

However, an appeal before the Court of Appeal is allowed.

Judge Ahmed Ibrahim Saif stressed that the unawareness of the law is no exemption from punishment.

He said. “Those buyers who discovered a failure in implementation of projects, or lack of commitment from the developer in implementation of the project should apply to the interim relief judge for a request to stop payment on cheques issued.”

Since the start of the global financial crisis, the Government of Dubai has spared no effort to overcome the negative effects of the crisis and its effects on real estate investors and developers.

The emirate has consistently issued decrees and laws to preserve rights and speed up judgment in disputes.

One of these decrees is the establishment of a special judicial committee to discuss the disputes relating to bad cheques issued by real estate buyers.

The verdicts of the committee is based on the circumstances of each check and the proportion of achievements in the real estate project.

However, this committee also can refer the case to the public prosecutor.

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