For five years, Adel Talmees has pursued action against a Saudi national who gave him a bad check for SR1.2 million. Al-Baha Region Police are searching for a man from the region who disappeared after writing the check. Talmees filed a complaint at the Al-Baha branch of the Ministry of Commerce and an arrest warrant was issued for the check issuer. Talmees said he has been suffering for five years, since the check bounced, so he filed a complaint at the Ministry of Commerce, the office that handles matters of this nature. The Office for Resolving Commercial Papers Disputes in Al-Baha region issued a verdict that forces the defendant to cover the check. The man has also been fined SR25,000 and must publish his name in chambers of commerce in the Kingdom's regions as a defamation measure. Despite this, he has not been arrested, although Talmees said he has repeatedly visited the Civil Rights Administration in Al-Baha Police and demanded compensation for financial and moral losses he has incurred. Maj. Sa'eed Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, spokesman of Al-Baha Police, said the transaction is being investigated at the Civil Rights Administration and the defendant will be brought to justice. Lawyer and legal consultant Muhammad Al-Twairqi said the issue has been decided from the judicial aspect with the issuance of a decision by the authority concerned, the Office for Resolving Commercial Papers Disputes. “This is a final decision and has to be executed urgently without a guarantee,” Al-Twairqi said. “This forces the absent defendant, whose address is not known, to pay the amount demanded by the plaintiff. What remains is execution of this decision by the authorities concerned with execution of verdicts in order to arrest the defendant.” As a last step, the plaintiff should demand that the verdict execution order be referred to the execution judge in the court, who will search for the money in the defendant's bank accounts, which he will seize, Al-Twairqi said. If these do not cover the required amount, he will write to the Notary Public to search for real estate owned by the defendant which, if available, will also be sold in an auction after announcements are placed in local newspapers, Al-Twairqi added. Talmees has to provide the court with information about any fixed or movable assets owned by the defendant or those in which he is a partner so that the court can take them and hand over the required amount, Al-Twairqi said. According to a Cabinet decision, issuers of bounced checks face imprisonment and fines with effect from July 6.
