The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Court ruled that a man must return AED20,000 to another man after misleading him into believing that he owned a fruit and vegetable shop and inviting him to become a partner. It later emerged that the defendant was merely a worker at the shop. The court based its ruling on the defendant’s admission that he had received the money.Records show the case began when a man filed a lawsuit against another, seeking repayment of AED20,000, plus interest at a rate of 12%, and requesting that the defendant be ordered to pay fees, expenses and legal costs. He stated that he had agreed to become a partner in a fruit and vegetable shop after the defendant misled him into believing that he owned the business. As a result, he handed over cash in instalments totalling AED20,000. It later became clear that the defendant was a worker at the shop.When he asked for the money to be returned, the defendant refused and avoided him.The defendant appeared before the court and requested that any amount awarded be paid in instalments, noting that part of his salary was used to pay rent for his accommodation.The court explained that, under the Law of Evidence, an admission is a person’s acknowledgement of a right owed to another. It added that an admission is considered judicial when a party acknowledges before the court a legal fact alleged against him during the proceedings. The court noted that the defendant had admitted receiving the money from the plaintiff.The court rejected the claim for interest because the conditions required for awarding it had not been proven.The court ruled that the defendant must pay the plaintiff AED20,000, in addition to fees and expenses, and AED300 in legal costs. All other claims were dismissed.
