Expert review for BD86,000 school embezzlement case

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The Fifth High Criminal Appeals Court has ordered a forensic review in the case of three secondary technical school employees convicted of embezzling more than BD86,000 through forgery.

The hearing was adjourned to October 1.

Sentence

The First High Criminal Court had previously sentenced the main defendant to 10 years in prison, fined him BD75,204, and ordered him to repay the same amount.

The second defendant received three years in prison, a fine of BD10,897, and was ordered to repay the sum.

The third defendant was sentenced to one year in prison, fined BD790, and ordered to return the amount.

Maximum penalties

During earlier hearings, the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution sought the maximum penalties, citing the seriousness of the offences, witness testimonies, and financial reports.

Investigations revealed that the defendants falsified invoices, forged cheques, and diverted school funds for personal use, including payments to salons, cafés, car dealerships, and utility bills.

The Public Prosecution launched its case after the Ministry of Education reported financial irregularities.

Invoices

Testimonies from ministry officials and traders confirmed that some invoices were fabricated in the names of businesses that had never dealt with the school.

Reports from the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and the National Financial Intelligence Center found that over 200 school-issued cheques had been misused, with several deposited into the defendants’ accounts.

The main defendant admitted to forging cheques and documents, while the other two confessed to assisting him.