School staff stole BD86,000, blew it on salons and cars

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Cheque fraud and cafe bills — three school employees accused of pocketing BD86,000 meant for their workplace and splashing it on beauty salons, cinemas, and personal expenses will argue their case on 11 February, as court keeps the prime suspect behind bars.

The prosecution claims the trio, who worked at a technical secondary school, played fast and loose with school funds, forging cheques and fiddling financial records before helping themselves.

Instead of the money going where it should, it allegedly bankrolled a shopping spree that stretched from men’s fashion stores to car dealerships and even covered personal electricity bills.

At yesterday’s hearing, the defendants turned up with their lawyers, who pushed for key witnesses to take the stand.

They want testimony from the Education Ministry’s investigation team, which put together financial reports on the case, and an expert to go over the money trail and report back. Prosecutors say the scam ran from 1 January 2019 to 30 April 2024.

Accounts

The three accused, all public employees, are charged with snatching BD86,891.895 from the school’s accounts.

Investigators claim they roped in the school principal, described as a well-intentioned public servant, to help without him knowing it.

They allegedly tricked him into signing blank cheques, which the first defendant then filled out, naming himself and the others as recipients before cashing them in.