An Arab expatriate couple, residents in Qatar for 30 years, have lost their life time savings amounting to QR1.3mn in a fraudulent deal involving the sale of wife’s gold ornaments.
Referring to the details of the case, a report in the local daily Arrayah said that a confidence trickster had convinced the woman on selling her ornaments for a gainful amount and after receiving all the jewellery from her, he
disappeared.
She, however, tracked him down and filed a case against him. The court ruled in her favour and ordered the accused to pay back the cost of the ornaments estimated at QR1.3mn in addition to a sum of QR50,000 as compensation. It also barred him from leaving the country until the reimbursement of the amount.
The man tried to leave the country two times by producing before the court a Qatari guarantor but his request was refused each time on grounds of insufficient proof of the guarantor’s ability to pay back the money. Then the accused produced a third Qatari guarantor who convinced the court that he will be responsible for the payment if the accused did not return within a stipulated date.
Based on his assurance and convinced about his financial ability the court allowed the accused to travel out of the country. But he did not return and consequently the court ordered the guarantor to pay the amount or face imprisonment for three months.
The guarantor pleaded for the cancellation of the prison sentence on the assurance that the amount due to the claimant can be deducted from his salary in monthly
installments.
“It is a rigmarole I have been in for the past four years with no relief in sight,” said the woman in her statement to
the daily.
