*** Saudi national faces murder charges | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Saudi national faces murder charges

Manama

Closing arguments will be submitted on October 13 in the case of a 31-year-old Saudi man, who fled the country after running over a country fellow on the Exhibition Road. A court hearing of the trial was heard yesterday before the High Criminal Court, where prosecution witnesses took the stand, confirming the defendant's responsibility in the death of the victim.

Meanwhile, judges at the High Criminal Court dropped the fines imposed on the witnesses for not showing up in the previous court hearing after accepting their absence excuses. 

DT news had reported in March that a 44-year-old man was found dead at the car parking area of a hotel located on the Exhibition Road.

The incident occurred on March 6, but the defendant had escaped to Saudi Arabia to evade the police. He had abandoned his car, and used a taxi service to flee, court files suggested. 

Having found out that the victim died, the 31-year-old later surrendered himself to Bahrain's police, claiming that he was under the influence of alcohol when he ran over the victim.  

He claimed that he had pressed the gas pedal by mistake as he was in an inebriated state. He also refuted any links with the victim, stating that he hadn't any relationship with him. "I was in the car under the influence of alcohol, I put my foot on the gas pedal. And several men came to me and told that I ran over a man. I immediately abandoned the car,” he added. 

However, eyewitnesses told prosecutors that the man had intentionally raced his car against the victim and three other men, who were with deceased at the time of the incident. The accident occurred after a quarrel between the defendant and the other four men following a lunch together in the same restaurant, according to the witnesses' statements. 

The defendant is in police custody, pending the case, in which he is accused of murder and attempted murder.