Director in dock over BD192,000 embezzlement

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The hearing in to a BD192,000 embezzlement case, in which a government director stands accused, will continue on 14 September.

The defendant is alleged to have stolen funds from the Ministry of Social Development and laundered part of the money.

Prosecutors allege that the defendant, while in public service, issued cheques in the names of individuals and withdrew the cash for personal use, seizing a total of 192,351 dinars and 242 fils. He is also accused of misappropriating cash and in-kind donations collected by the centre, including vouchers and Ramadan baskets, part of which were meant for social cases, staff bonuses, and centre events.

The case involves a second defendant, the owner of a labour-supply company, who allegedly helped falsify contracts and company receipts. Prosecutors say the director agreed to pay a cleaner 520 dinars per month, but the worker received only 140 dinars. He is also accused of receiving Covid-19 wage-support funds without passing them on to staff.

Investigators highlighted the use of pre-signed blank cheques, which were later withdrawn by staff and deposited into the director’s personal accounts. Financial analysis from January 2019 to July 2024 showed deposits and transfers into the centre’s accounts of 78,188 dinars and 750 fils, with patterns inconsistent with his declared income.

Cheques issued by the director totalled 157,256 dinars and 542 fils. The forged documents were used to justify withdrawals and reimbursements, facilitating the alleged embezzlement. The second defendant is charged with participating in the forgery of cleaning-worker contracts and cash-receipt slips.