u/Mundane-Air7046

Can anyone advise the normal process for the return of seized funds held as evidence in a criminal theft case after sentencing?

The prosecutor told us we as victims would likely get our money back "next week" but it has been several weeks and no one has contacted us. The case is adjourned for judgement until mid-June.

I'm just a bit worried because the AI answer suggested the process can take a further 4-8 weeks after sentencing, requires some steps/expense on our part and that we may even need a lawyer to help us get it back. But we all know that AI hallucinates at times and isn't to be trusted.

Does anyone have experience with the process? Is it really so long/complicated?

I know this topic comes up from time to time, but with the landscape and regulations continually changing, I thought it's worth asking again.

Is there a legal way for a small business to accept Crypto (USDT) payment? I've gathered that even if it is possible to set-up a business Crypto account (albeit very difficult), the bank may not permit transactions connected to Crypto conversion, even through legitimate channels.

Has anything changed or is my understanding not quite accurate?

I am voluntarily helping a family member with bookkeeping for their car rental start-up. I am not an accountant but I'm confident I will be able to do it as well as the tax returns with a little guidance, as I work in another numeric profession and I am really determined to do it with care. I am using Zoho Books and the company is VAT registered. I'm about two months into it but I'm encountering some challenges/uncertainties, which I'm not too confident how to navigate. AI advice is trash.

I concede that I may be better to leave the VAT returns to a professional but I'm adamant that I can still do the monthly books if only I could sit with someone who specifically works with Zoho Books and/or car rental accounting for an hour or two to hash a few things out.

I would be ever-so-grateful and of course I do not expect help for free (although my budget is small).

We had someone who had access enter our home (a domestic worker) steal hundreds of thousands of dirhams cash from us. The police found the culprit within a few days and have recovered 40% of the money. The public prosecutor advised us to open a civil case to reclaim the rest. This is very disappointing for us. We're not sure which any attempts if any would have been made to see if she remitted the money, or if she would have been pressured to give more back.

Is there even any point in opening a civil case? I don't see how anyone can force that person to repay it if they say they don't have the means, and as I understand the upfront court fees and any solicitor fees would be significant. My guess is that person may have managed to get the money back to their own country where they will surely enjoy it after deportation and there's little we can do about it.

Should we just accept the 60% loss rather than throw good money after bad?

Update: Thanks for all the advice so far all. Having a better understanding of the available mechanisms now, it seems a criminal deportation order may well overrule any travel ban for a civil claim (for which detention wouldn't be for long anyway if she maintains she cannot pay). There's a significant risk of not recovering any more money and also being left to pay all the legal costs, which we cannot afford.