Loan defaulter in TROUBLE [Poor Guy!!!]
DOHA: A bank took a citizen to court for loan default but the man was so scared of facing the court that he did not attend a single hearing and was consequently sentenced to six months in jail.
Luckily for him, though, the court ordered that the sentence be kept in abeyance until he was charged again for a similar offence.
But that did not prevent his employers from sacking him due to the stigma of a court sentence against him.
With no income, the man, who is married and has five children, moved from a large rented accommodation into a small attachment to a villa whose rent is much lower.
The neighbours, some of them kind-hearted and generous, somehow came to know of his plight and touched by the suffering of his wife and children, began providing him food, among other things.
The man owes a total of QR280,000 in loans to banks and individuals and no one knows what he did with the huge sum.
In his 40s, the national has been desperately trying for a job but prospective employers are reluctant to hire him because of the court verdict against him.
“He is living the life of a fugitive,” Al Sharq said.
The man requested the bank that took him to court to issue a letter addressed to the state-run Zakat Fund for financial assistance, but the bank refused to oblige him, leaving him in the lurch
.
Now, that's realy cruelty from Bank's part. If they are getting their money throught ZAKAT FUND they must help this guy. I don't understand why they have denied assistance to this guy to get their money back
Its too sad to know that his five children and wife are suffering. But its hard to believe that no one ever could trace out what he DID with such a lump sum money. And somebody please tell me who on earth is going to believe that a man at the age of 40's , who could arrange all the legal documents required to get the loan issued in his own name, was afraid to go to the court to prove his innocence, if he was really innocent? I personally believe that any act of fraudulence should not be tolerated at any case. And hence I guess you cant blame the bank for not giving him the papers needed for Zakat Fund. Nobody knows the full story , but I feel he's reaping what he sowed, if you read in between the lines of the above report..
--- If you can't CONVINCE them, CONFUSE them!!!
He might get another loan from another bank for another Land Cruiser.
well on the light side..it's one land cruiser less road.
Many people here get loans they can't possibly repay so its like fraud and yet they expect to beg their way out of it. I think you will see less and less sympathy for this type of stupidity. Its like writing a bad check as he probably knew he could never pay it back. You feel for the children but I guess it means Mom will have to go to work.
I wouldnt go for a bunch of kids and make them starve MD.
______________________________________________
- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -
He was a customer, it doesn't matter that he may no longer be a customer. Once you leave a bank, either lawfully or unlawfully, they are not allowed to comment on your accounts or problems = that's a requirement of the QCB and Qatari Law. They cannot comment on the case without infringing on this man's right to confidentiality. End of story.
Signature line > "You can't fix stupid"
I didn’t want the bank to comment on the personal details of this man’s case, I was referring rather to what policies they have in place regarding issuing letters to the Zakat fund. Perhaps the reason they haven’t signed the letter is because their own regulations prevent them from doing so. Perhaps now that there has been legal action they cannot. Perhaps the guy is no longer a bank customer, so they are not within their rights to do so. I don’t know, and nor does anyone else. I just don’t think it’s fair to automatically assume that the bank is being cruel and vindictive, when a more logical explanation is that they are following internal policy.
The only way to know is to let the bank provide comment (without infringing on the man’s privacy, of course).
And as you say, wouldn't it stand to reason that the court's findings would be evidence enough for the man to recieve some assistance from the Zakat fund?
It just doesn't seem to me that we are being told the whole story - rather, it is being distorted to portray Mr Moneybags as the victim of something other than his own foolishness.
He or his lawyer should have received a written legal paper of some sort stating the facts that he could take to Zakat surely?
As for double standards, yes they exist here. Perhaps it's a show of leniency that other nationalities don't receive, but surely it is in the bank's and the country's best interest to allow this man to try and repay the debt?
As for the comment to ask the bank for its side of the story. Bank's are held to a standard of confidentiality over customer's accounts (even when in default). The Qatar Central Bank would not look kindly on their commenting on this sad situation.
Signature line > "You can't fix stupid"
Hmm, I notice he defaulted on the loan while he was still employed. He seems to be the architect of his own downfall.
Mandi
Loan defaulters are same as thieves in my opinion and he should be treeated the same. Why anyone is helping him at all is beyond me. What's this excuse about having 5 children and no job so he should be treated differently?? Can some national have 10 children and then commit as many crimes as he can. Afterall what will happen to his children if he is sent to jail!!!
"Hurricanes are like women : when they come, they're wet and wild, but when they leave they take your house and car."
if he is bailed out by the Zakat fund and charitable people. If anything, they should help him get a job so he can pay back his debts responsibly after serving his sentence. I find the article more than a little repulsive as it is trying to paint him as a victim, I think. I would have more respect if people were trying to arrange a job for him AFTER he serves his sentence so he can survive and repay his debts.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Perhaps if he had 2 wives, he could have defaulted (read: stolen) twice as much money? :p
Was this article supposed to ellicit sympathy for him?
And now that nationals know they can default on huge loans and only get suspended sentences, will that mean a rise in loan defaults?
On a serious note, i am concerned about the double standards displayed by the judiciary on accasion. Expat friend of mine is facing a year in clink followed by deportation for him and family for a theft related crime - guilty, yes and he is the first to admit it. But i have read to many times the phrase "...the sentence was reduced because the court took into account the defendant's (National) age and circumstances" - one does not typically see such caveats applied to expats - certainly isnt being applied to my friend who DOES have circumstances that should be considered. Yes I know that if i dont like it I can leave and go to a country where the law is applied with a good deal more consistency.... but that isnt the point. Just my humble opinion.
....still he is lucky enough being a CITIZEN... for what the court has suspended its own verdict..... otherwise he would have been in deep shit.
---------------------------------------------------------Whenever I find the KEY to SUCCESS...Someone STEALS it.
Ka Pukhtoon ye no dalta daNgg warka: http://www.qatarliving.com/group/pukhtoon-in-qatar
No TV = 'baby boom'. (New York)
What would you do if you have no job, arien? Think.
No job.. still five children
Mercy and Zakat?? - wher did the 280,000 go?
______________________________________________
- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -
Perhaps the newspaper should have sought the bank's point of view to give some balance.
As it stands, I can't honestly say I have much sympathy for the man. His family - yes. Him - no.
I was talking about the Big Ones .... Seems to be difficult to help here while they got lots of projects running outside the country to help people.
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. (Gautama Buddha)
That sounds very distrustful. Do you mean people would go to the Zakat fund just to screw them for free food?
Wow... I didn't realise that sort of thing was happening in a country like Qatar. I'm used to charities that provide help to those in need because they ask for assistance, not because their bank gives them permission.
MD is right - how dare the bank think it has the right to demand justice - Nationals are above the law we all know that. I think ALL expats should be required to cough up 10 bucks each to get this guy back on the straight and narrow and if there is anything left over, it show go towards a downpayment on a new land cruiser - any sortfall in the cost can be secured via a bank loan......
Only one victim her, the family!
needs an approve that he is indeed in need ... I can go to them now and fake a story that I got lots of loans, can't pay them, I'm not eating and starving to death [thank god nothing like that at all] if it's that easy.
I know many people who are in need and brought papers that supports their requests but still no help ...
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. (Gautama Buddha)
Sounds to me that it's cruelty on the part of the Zakat Fund - why don't they provide him assistance? Why should the bank give him any further help after he's already defaulted on huge loans.
And how on Earth can you spend QR280,000 on nothing?
The man is a Qatari? Leave him alone. It's his country!
but him----not so much. He was Scared of going to court? Sorry, but that sounds like a 10 year olds response. He borrowed a large sum of money and it can't be found----sounds like he is hiding something.
You can't teach experience...