Forgery refers to the act of altering, creating, or possessing a fraudulent document that is used with intention to defraud. Forging a signature, a government document or even a cheque can be considered as a felony in the United Arab Emirates. Forgery is considered as a serious crime in the United Arab Emirates and can have consequences as per the Article 216 of Federal Law Number 3 of 1987.
Types of Forgery
Forgery is mainly classified into two (2) main types
- Material Forgery – When a forger makes alternation in the document where it is visible to the eyes.
- Moral Forgery – When a forger alters the meaning of the content stated in the document which was made by the parties during the editing process.
Fines and Penalties
The United Arab Emirates prosecutors have clearly cautioned that forging any electronic paper is considered as a felony and shall be punishable by a variety of punishments, including an imprisonment and a fine of AED 100,000. According to the Article 6 of Federal Decree Number 5 of 2012 on combatting cybercrime states that people who are guilty of forging an electronic document belonging to the federal government authorities shall face a temporary imprisonment and fine of not less than AED 150,000 and not more than AED 750,000 shall be imposed on establishments
Challenges to Forgery
A forgery challenge can be bought by the challenger at any point of time in the case. However, the complaint must point out the areas that has been forged, proof for forgery and the investigation report on the forgery charge needs to be presented along with memorandum which has to be presented to the court. If you believe that you have been a victim of forgery, please do not hesitate to send us a query to our best criminal lawyers in Dubai at enquiries@alowaislaw.com to get best legal advice.
