Coronavirus: Police bust wedding at Abu Dhabi home

Bridegroom, his father and the father of the bride face fines of Dh10,000 each

Police busted a wedding being held at a home in Abu Dhabi despite a ban against gatherings due to Covid-19.

On Thursday, police said the bridegroom, his father and the father of the bride would face legal action and fines of up to Dh10,000 each for organising the event.

Private and public events that bring together large groups of people are currently banned across the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Abu Dhabi Police bust a wedding reception held at a home in the capital. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Police

Guests who attended the wedding reception, which was held in a tent outside the family's villa, were also referred to prosecutors and will face fines of Dh5,000 each. Police did not disclose how many people attended the wedding.

In March, the Attorney General issued a series of penalties for offences that could spread the virus to others. They included fines for not wearing face masks, adhering to social distancing, breaching home quarantine and refusing a mandated medical test. Fines range between Dh1,000 for "unnecessarily" visiting a healthcare facility and Dh50,000 for anyone who does not remain in hospital, comply with prescribed treatment or refuses tests requested by authorities.

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Repeat offenders face a minimum Dh100,000 fine and maximum six-month prison sentence.

No further details were revealed by police, who called on the public to report any offences by calling the toll free number 8002626, sending a text message to 2828, or emailing [e-mail].