SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Sammy Sosa did not show up for a judicial hearing Friday in the Dominican Republic regarding a lawsuit for $203,000 for alleged lack of payment from the former major league player.
The hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 18 due to Sosa's absence.
Sosa is being sued by Carim Abu Nabaa, who claims that Sosa owes him money for several business transactions, including a $150,000 payment for the sale of one of Sosa's real estate properties.
"I am willing to settle if Sosa agrees. I don't want his money. In fact, if I win the case I will donate the money to the poor children of this country," Abu Nabaa said after the hearing in charge of prosecutor Adolfo Feliz Perez was postponed. "I am willing to get a lie detector test and if I'm not telling the truth I'll pay Sosa a million dollars."
Sosa's lawyer, Jose A. Figueroa, claimed the lawsuit is unfounded.
"In this case there won't be a friendly settlement because they [the plaintiffs] don't have any merit in their claims," Figueroa said.
He added that "if Sosa has to come on the 18th of this month [for the hearing], he will come, but that won't be necessary because they don't have any evidence that can prove the facts of their lawsuit."
Sosa is a resident of Miami.
According to the lawsuit filed on November 26, Sosa failed to compensate Abu Nabaa with a $150,000 commission for his help in the sale of a house to American actor Vin Diesel in the tourist villa of La Roman, $43,000 for the purchase of a luxury watch and $10,000 for arranging the visit of Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Don Omar to Sosa's 41st birthday party on November 14.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.