Prison inmates and their families will benefit from a Dh5 million donation by Al Ansari Exchange.
Mohammed Al Ansari, chairman and managing director, said his company would give Dh1 million a year for the next five years to support families who have loved ones serving sentences in prisons in Dubai.
“This agreement [with Dubai Police] is part of the company’s policy to support society in all its aspects and support the social and humanitarian work that helps inmates of correctional and punitive institutions, who have imposed fines or debts as well as owe blood money,” he said.
The money will also help to settle the debts of inmates who have served their sentences but are unable to pay the full amount of blood money, said Dubai Police chief Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzeina.
“The Government has the ability and is fulfilling all its duties towards inmates and there are absolutely no shortcomings from the Government’s side,” he said.
“All donations go to the individual [inmates] and not to the Government or the correctional and punitive institutions.”
Maj Gen Al Muzeina said the money would be distributed according to the situation of individual inmates. “If a person is serving his sentence but has children in school and he cannot pay their tuitions, his situation will differ from that of another inmate.
“The help depends on the situation and the study of the situation. You cannot give someone in need of help but has one child the same as someone who has six children.
“If an inmate has completed his sentence but is not able to close the imposed fines or debts, he may be helped. For example, if an inmate owes Dh120,000 but can only come up with Dh100,000, we may provide him with the other Dh20,000,” he said.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
