Aya El Deeb, Staff Reporter
The Abu Dhabi Court for Family and Civil and Administrative Cases obligated a man to pay Dhs161,000 and legal interest of 5% to his sister’s husband, in addition to the lawsuit fees and expenses.
The case dates back to an earlier time when the plaintiff filed a lawsuit in which he indicated that he had lent appellee the amount, but he refused to repay it. The plaintiff demanded that the appellee pay Dhs161,000, 12% legal interest, and Dhs10,000 in compensation for the material and moral damage he suffered, as well as the expenses of the lawsuit and the lawyer’s fees.
The plaintiff indicated that he lent his brother-in-law the amount so he could build his house, and promised to return the money immediately if he needed it, but he did not keep his promise.
He attached exchanged messages between the two parties and a bank statement via WhatsApp.
The court indicated that the electronic message does not lose its legal effect or enforceability simply because it is electronic, and the information in them does not lose its legal validity.
The court obligated the appellee to pay his sister’s husband Dhs161,000 and the legal interest at 5% from the date of filing the lawsuit until the full payment. He was also obligated to pay the fees and expenses of the lawsuit. The court rejected the claim for material and moral compensation, pointing out that the plaintiff claimed material damages such as depriving him of the opportunity to invest the amount and not benefiting from it, but he did not provide any evidence for that, nor did he indicate what moral damage caused to him was.