Expatriates in the UAE will not be exempt from criminal charges for bouncing cheques

Expatriates in the UAE will not be exempt from criminal charges for bouncing cheques, authorities said, clarifying media reports that foreign nationals who write bad cheques will no longer be punished.

The Higher Committee for Debt Settlement Fund for Nationals said it will only settle bad debts for Emirati citizens and not foreigners living in the Gulf state.

“The mechanisms set by the fund will apply only to UAE citizens, and not others, and this includes the President’s directives to decriminalise [bounced] security cheques presented by UAE citizens to banks and financial firms,” a statement on state news agency WAM said.

“The prosecution shall suspend all criminal cases and the courts shall dismiss all cases in connection with security cheques presented by Emiratis,” it added.

The statement comes days after local media printed contradictory reports on whether the UAE was ending prison terms for expatriates that write bad cheques.
Arabic daily Al Ittihad on January 1 said bouncing a cheque would no longer be a criminal offence for expatriates, quoting Ali Khalfan Al Dhaheri, head of the legal affairs department at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs,
“In line with the directives of Sheikh Khalifa... and in the spirit of fairness and equality, the courts have stopped as of last month accepting collateral cheques presented as a criminal tool against expatriate debt defaulters,” he told the newspaper.
“Federal public prosecutions in the country have, indeed, released expatriate detainees as has been the case of their Emirati counterparts who were freed last October,” added Judge Jassem Saif Buossaiba, head of the judicial inspection department at the Justice Ministry.
Gulf News however denied the report. “There is no relaxation or debt waiver for expatriates,” deputy minister of Presidential Affairs Ahmad Jumaa Al Zaabi told the newspaper.
Cheques are used in the UAE to underwrite credit cards, loans and guarantee future payments and bouncing cheques is a criminal offence and not a civil one.
Authorities in October relaxed the penalties for Emiratis who write bad cheques and in November freed around 290 UAE nationals who were in prison for bouncing cheques.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in May allocated around AED5m to settle defaulted loans for each indebted Emirati. In August, the Central Bank ordered banks to extend maturities on personal loans held by Emiratis by more than four years.

No criminal case for bounced security cheques in UAE courts -Ruling covers expats and Emiratis

UAE courts have stopped accepting cheques submitted by banks as a criminal tool against debt defaulters in line with new instructions by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the semi-official daily Alittihad reported on Monday.

The instructions had first benefited Emirati defaulters before courts were told last month to apply the same rule on expatriate debtors, the paper said.

Quoting Jassim Bu Aseeba, Director of the Judicial Inspection Division at the Ministry of Justice, the Arabic language paper said banks have been told that federal courts would no longer accept cheques presented to them by expatriates against a loan.

“All federal courts in the UAE have started to enforce the presidential instructions to stop accepting cheques presented by banks as criminal tools against expatriates as is the case with Emirati defaulters,” Bu Aseeba said.

“For this reason, the public prosecutor has released all those jailed because of those cheques. Many Emiratis were already released in October.”

The paper quoted another official as saying federal courts have stopped accepting all cheques presented to them by banks and all other financial firms.

“These cheques are no longer sufficient to put a defaulter in prison. They are not a criminal tool any more,” said Ali Khalfan Al Dahiri, director of the legal affairs department at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.

“The decision is in line with the President’s directives to achieve justice for all residents including Emiratis and expatriates. The decision was enforced last month and all federal courts now enforce the same rule on both Emiratis and expatriates. There is no discrimination in the enforcement of these rules,” he added.

The paper also quoted banking officials as confirming cheques are no longer considered as a criminal tool but that they can be used by banks to prove they are owed money by debtors.

“Banks are still presenting cheques given to them by debtors only as documents proving their rights, including the loan and interest,” one source said. “But these cheques are no longer enough to arrest defaulters and convict them.”

Legal adviser Dr Mustafa El-Sherbini said that this does not mean the rights of the creditor are compromised, but it entitles the creditor to go to the civil court to claim dues.

Banking sources told the paper that banks have also stopped using security cheques as a criminal tool, but continued to request they be submitted as part of documentation for loans.

The report quoted sources as saying that this ruling only covers security cheques and that cheques submitted towards monthly, quarterly and other fixed-term payments can be used to file a criminal case if they are not honoured.

No further grace periods for Residency visa violators in UAE - prosecuted from February 4

 Abu Dhabi: People with expired residency visas will be fined and prosecuted from February 4, a statement by the Ministry of Interior said, adding that no further grace periods or exceptions will be made.

Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, Acting Director General of Naturalisation, Residency and Ports Affairs, said that the ministry is currently dealing with residency violators to ease procedures for their voluntary departure from the country during the amnesty.

Al Rashidi ensured that services are available to allow violators to benefit from the grace period by visiting residency departments across the UAE to obtain outpasses and leave the country without penalties.

The official also urged violators not to wait until amnesty’s final day to submit their papers.In a previous statement, Major General Nasser Awadi Al Menhali, Assistant Undersecretary for Naturalisation, Residency and Ports Affairs, said that amnesty, approved by the Cabinet in April, covers only those who overstayed their visit or resident visas, but not infiltrators, who he said will be treated like criminals.

Earlier, Al Menhali added that residents who overstayed their visas can come forward with their passports and air tickets to obtain an outpass, get their fines waived, and leave the country.Passports withheld by residency department in absconding cases will also be handed over to their holders, he said.

New Year's Day paid UAE holiday for pvt, govt sectors

Humaid Al Qatami, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources today issued a circular stating that January 1, 2013 - New Year's Day -  will be a holiday in the UAE.

Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour, has also issued a decision that designates Tuesday, January 1 2013 as a paid holiday for the private sector in the UAE. Work will resume on Wednesday, January 2.

All ministries and departments of the Federal State government will remain closed on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 and resume work the next day, Wednesday, January 2, 2013.

On this occasion Al Qatami offered his deepest congratulations and blessings to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and to their brethren, members of the Supreme Council of Rulers, asking God Almighty to grant them good health and wellness.

Al Qatami also congratulated citizens and residents of the United Arab Emirates on this happy occasion.

Schedule of fees payable applications for passport and travel documents of Indians

Sl. No.	Particulars of application	Scale of fees
		Normal Fee			Tatkaal fee (inclusive of normal fee)
				AED			AED
1	2			3			4
I.  PASSPORT--
1.	For issue of ordinary fresh passport or reissue of Passport  containing 36 pages having validity of ten years (also applicable to minors in the age group of fifteen to eighteen years)			285			855
2.	For issue of ordinary fresh passport or reissue of passport  containing 60 pages having validity of ten years (also applicable to minors in the age group of fifteen to eighteen years)			380			950
3.	For issue of ordinary fresh passport or reissue of passport of 36 pages for minors below eighteen years of age with validity of five years or till the minor attains the age of eighteen years, whichever is earlier			190			760
4.	For issue of fresh or reissue of India-Bangladesh Passport or Passport for any other named foreign country with a maximum validity of ten years			190			NA
5.	Replacement of passport of 36 pages having validity of ten years for changes in personal particulars			285			855
6.	Replacement of passport of 60 pages having validity of ten years for changes in personal particulars			380			950
7.	Replacement of passport of 36 pages for changes in personal particulars for minors below the age of eighteen years with validity of five years or till the minor attains the age of eighteen years, whichever is earlier			190			760
8.	Replacement of passport of 36 pages having validity of ten years for deletion of Emigration Check Required stamp			285			NA
9.	Replacement of passport of 60 pages having validity of ten years for deletion of Emigration Check Required stamp			380			NA
II.  SPECIAL TRAVEL DOCUMENT--
10.	Emergency Certificate			60			NA
11.	Certificate of Identity			190			NA
12.	Additional ordinary passport containing 36 pages for any country with initial validity up to one year			285			NA
III.  MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES--
13.	Issue of Police Clearance Certificate or Surrender Certificate or any other miscellaneous certificates based on the Passport			95			NA
IV.  PASSPORTS IN LIEU OF LOST, DAMAGED OR STOLEN--
14.	For replacement of ordinary passport of 36 pages in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport			570			1140
15.	For replacement of ordinary passport of 60 pages in lieu of lost, damaged or stolen passport			665			1235