Appeals Court upholds prison, fines, and deportation in major food fraud case

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The Third High Criminal Appeals Court has upheld the convictions of company owners, managers, and 20 staff members in a major case involving expired and falsified food products, confirming hefty prison sentences, fines exceeding BD 200,000, and deportation orders for foreign workers.

Maintaining prison terms ranging from two to three years against the defendants, the appeals court also confirmed fines against the companies and individuals involved. However, the court overturned an earlier order to close one of the company’s branches.

The investigation began after a newly hired warehouse worker filed a complaint with Al-Khamis Police Station. He revealed he had been forced to alter expiry dates on food items and documented the process on video. Authorities seized more than 14,000 expired products, tools for tampering with labels, and falsified goods already distributed to local markets.

Prosecution Action

The Public Prosecution detained 29 suspects, including company owners, managers, and employees. One brother was sentenced to three years in prison and fined BD 100,000, while his sibling was fined BD 101,000. A third defendant received three years in prison, and 19 staff members were sentenced to two years each.

All foreign defendants will be deported after completing their terms. The two companies were fined BD 10,000 each. Assistant Attorney General Wael Rashid Buallay reiterated that food safety remains a top priority in Bahrain and warned that any violations threatening public health will be met with strict legal measures.