Bahraini woman acquitted of failing to disclose assets

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The Third Minor Criminal Court has acquitted a Bahraini woman of charges that she failed to disclose her financial assets, after finding that she had never been properly notified of the legal procedures against her.

The verdict was confirmed by her defense lawyer, Sayed Ali Mahfood.

According to court documents, the Public Prosecution had accused the defendant of refusing to declare her assets in 2023 within the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In its detailed judgment, the court stated that after carefully reviewing the case, its circumstances, and the evidence presented, it found the prosecution’s case unconvincing.

The court said it was not satisfied with the proof relied upon by the Public Prosecution to establish the charge.

The court explained that under Law No. 22 of 2021 concerning the issuance of the Civil and Commercial Execution Law, Article 24 clearly outlines the disclosure obligations: “The person subject to enforcement shall, within seven days from the date of being notified or becoming aware of any enforcement procedures, disclose his or her assets to the extent necessary to cover the debt.”

However, upon reviewing the case file, the court found no evidence that the defendant had been officially notified of any enforcement procedures or had any knowledge of them.

It added that a letter from the Enforcement Directorate claiming that the defendant had been notified at the address stated in the execution order was insufficient since it did not specify a date or proof that the notice was actually received.

The court concluded that there was reasonable doubt regarding whether the defendant had ever been aware of the enforcement actions, and therefore, it could not be said that she had deliberately failed to disclose her assets.