Manama: The Head of the Public Prosecution for Financial and Money Laundering Crimes announced that the First High Criminal Court has issued its judgment convicting ten defendants.
According to Bahrain News Agency, sentences range from ten years' imprisonment to one year, with fines of BD 100,000 imposed on two defendants and BD 500 on the remaining defendants. The charges included submitting false data through the electronic system of the Social Insurance Organisation and the Labour Fund "Tamkeen," forging documents, and using them to unlawfully obtain more than BD 230,000 from the two entities.
The case arose after multiple reports were received by the Public Prosecution for Financial and Money Laundering Crimes from the Social Insurance Organisation. The reports concerned several company owners who had unlawfully obtained over BD 90,000 from the Organisation's funds. The defendants submitted forged documents and entered false data into the Organisation's electronic system, manipulating insured individuals' records to exploit social insurance benefits. This resulted in fictitious employment periods, enabling them to claim retirement pensions, end-of-service gratuities, and lump-sum compensation without entitlement.
The Public Prosecution also received reports from Tamkeen indicating that the same defendants had unlawfully obtained over BD 140,000 from the Fund. This amount was provided as wage support through the submission of forged documents via its electronic system.
The Public Prosecution promptly launched investigations, gathering testimony from representatives of the Social Insurance Organisation, Tamkeen, and other witnesses. It issued travel bans and froze the defendants' accounts and assets. Investigations conducted by the Anti-Corruption Crimes Directorate of the General Directorate for Combating Corruption, Economic, and Electronic Security confirmed the defendants' involvement. The National Financial Investigations Unit was tasked with tracking the defendants' financial transactions. Testimonies were also collected from employees of the involved companies, and a forgery expert in the Material Evidence Department verified that their employment contracts had been falsified.
Subsequently, the Public Prosecution ordered the arrest of the defendants, interrogated them, and presented them with the accumulated evidence. The defendants were then referred for criminal trial, which concluded with the announcement of the judgment.