Awqaf official jailed for 22 years over embezzlement

Court orders repayment of BD483,107 and confiscation of funds linked to money laundering

TDT | Manama

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The High Criminal Court sentenced a 45-year-old department head at the Jaffar Awqaf Directorate to 22 years in prison for embezzling charitable funds, forging documents, and laundering criminal proceeds.

The court ordered him to repay BD483,107.710, pay a BD100,000 fine, and confiscated BD414,878.740 linked to the money-laundering offence, along with forged documents and assets equivalent to the crime proceeds.

The defendant served as coordinator of the Charitable Endowments and Welfare Committee and diverted cheques intended for charitable assistance for personal use.

Investigations found that he used beneficiary names or forged names to obtain the cheques and spent the money on vehicles, electronic goods, household items, loans, and credit card payments.

The court also heard that he used the bank accounts of several women, including widows and divorcees, to receive or transfer funds without their knowledge of the source.

A forged letter approving a BD160,000 interest-free loan for the defendant was also presented as evidence. The Jaffar Awqaf Council chairman confirmed that the letter and signature were not genuine.

The case emerged after officials became suspicious of several cheques issued to a bank and companies, leading to an audit and subsequent investigation.