A reader from Dubai asks: We are a leading travel agency in Dubai. We had signed an agreement with a LLC company in Ajman on travel products and tourism.

Sales were good in the first six months, but in April and May this year, a cheque for Dh1.35 million issued to us by the company bounced.

Our credit manager visited the company’s office to claim the amount, but found the premises sealed by the Ajman court.

We also found out that many other companies had been similarly cheated and the manager who signed the cheques had left the country. We filed a police complaint and submitted the cheque to police.

We also contacted the local sponsor of the company, but he claimed that the company was run by expatriates and he was not responsible for any claims. We checked with our legal department whether we could make a claim against the manager in absentia, but the money cannot be recovered from the sponsor since it was a LLC.

What can we do to recover the Dh1.35 million? We have signed documents apart from the cheque. We don’t want to spend money by filing a civil suit because we know we will not get anything from the company. More than 50 companies have already filed a case, but have got no response.

Criminal  case

Answer: If it is proved that the company, which the questioner has dealt with, does not have enough fund to settle the cheque’s value, the questioner can file a criminal case against the manager who signed the cheque.

After a judgement is issued, the questioner may request the concerned authority to include the manager’s name in Interpol’s wanted list. The Interpol in UAE is very active and from my experience they have tracked down many criminals wanted in the UAE.

Amenities for workers

A reader from Dubai asks: We are a group of workers working in a contracting company. Currently, we are working on a site located in the desert, far away from the city. The working conditions are difficult as the employer does not provide us with necessary facilities like proper accommodation, food and medicine. This has been the situation for more than six months. When we demand these requirements, the company site manager says they can be met at the expense of the employees as per the UAE Labour Law. If provided, the company says it will deduct the expenses from our salaries.

Answer: As per Federal Law No (8) of the year 1980, amended article 101 in this case states: “Every employer employing workers in areas remote from towns and not connected with them by any normal means of transport shall provide his workers with the following services: Adequate means of transport, suitable living accommodation, drinking waters, suitable food, first-aid facilities, recreation and sports facilities.

“The areas to which all or part of the provisions of this article applies shall be specified by order of the Minister of Labour.

“Except in the case of food, the cost of the services referred to in this article shall be borne by the employer and shall be provided entirely free of charge to the workers.”

Questions answered by lawyer Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba of Al Shaiba Advocates and Legal Consultants.

— Compiled by Bassam Za’za’, Legal and Court Correspondent