Mining rig deal goes bust: Court orders BD10,000 refund

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A protracted court battle over an undelivered cryptocurrency mining rig ended with the High Civil Court ordering the seller to refund around BD10,000.

The incident leading to the case started three years ago when the victim ordered a cryptocurrency mining machine from a woman for BD9,970.

However, the deal signed in December 2021 was never fulfilled, where the machine was originally promised to be delivered in February the following year. A receipt, dated and signed and bearing the stamp of her sole proprietorship, confirmed the sum had changed hands.

According to the claimant’s lawyer, Mohammed Al Mahdi, his client waited well past the deadline before sending a notice asking for the machine. There was no reply. He then took the matter to the Consumer Protection Directorate, which referred the case to the Public Prosecution.

Representative picture

The woman was fined BD1,000 under a criminal order. She objected. Her objection was dismissed by the Lower Criminal Court, which upheld the fine. The buyer submitted the ruling along with records of the deal as part of the civil claim.

In its judgment, the court said the criminal order, having gone unchallenged within the legal time frame, carried weight in civil proceedings. The facts, it said, were settled. The machine was neither delivered nor refunded, and the evidence was clear.

The woman had not disputed the receipt or the amount. The court ruled she must pay back BD9,970 and cover the cost of the case, including legal fees.