Jail me or let me pay

A homeless man struggling to pay off his debts has been thrown a lifeline by his bank just hours after his plight was featured in 7DAYS.

But Nicholas Warner claims that Emirates NBD has also asked him to sign a statement apologising for being critical of the way they handled his case.

Warner says he will not sign the retraction - even if it means the deal falls through.

“For seven months I’ve been trying to meet them and then as soon as it’s in the press, I get a call,” he said.

“After talking it through, they eventually gave me the offer I made them weeks ago and I thought ‘great, we’re finally making progress now’.

“But there was also a statement for me to sign apologising to the bank, saying they had tried to help me all along and
that I retract my statements... I want this resolved but I am not signing that.”

Warner, who has been sleeping rough for 12 weeks, claims he has been desperately trying to agree a payment plan so the bank will release his passport and allow him to work to clear his dhs58,000 credit card tab.

Bank silent over retraction letter  
His passport was seized by police in January over four bounced credit card repayments. He lost his job and home as he tried to find a solution but says the bank would not cooperate - until yesterday.

Warner said that he was called by the bank’s legal department and asked to come to its office.

The bank’s formal offer letter asks him for dhs25,000 cash, dhs30,000 in postdated cheques, proof of a job offer and a salary transfer letter.

But he claims he was also asked to sign a separate statement that reads: “I, Nicholas Warner, do sincerely and solemnly apologise to Emirates NBD (“the bank”) and retract my statements about the bank to journalists…”

Warner says it continues: “I hereby apologise to the bank and its staff and employees for the inconvenience I have caused and acknowledge the bank’s efforts to reach an amicable solution...”

Emirates NBD, which has previously said it has repeatedly tried to resolve the matter, refused to comment on the statement.