TWO men are in the dock in connection with planting a homemade explosive device on a busy highway during an illegal rally.
Fortunately, the gadget, which was planted underground near a roundabout in A’ali, was discovered before it could be remotely detonated via a mobile phone signal.
Authorities cordoned off the area, causing a traffic jam on Shaikh Zayed Highway, as a K9 unit was employed and a bomb squad defused the device.
The Bahraini defendants, aged 23 and 25, were arrested after the fingerprints of one of them were lifted off the mobile phone attached to the explosive device.
The 23-year-old defendant told authorities how a man, who later died from an electric shock as he was fixing a lamp at his home, provided them with the explosive device.
“My friend, who died from an electric shock as he was fixing a lamp at his home, gave us (the defendants) the bomb,” the unemployed Bahraini said in his statement to prosecutors.
“He told us to hide the bomb in a graveyard in Shahrakkan.
“We took the bomb and planted it underground near a roundabout in A’ali.
“However, I was arrested when authorities found my fingerprints on the bomb.”
A detective described how secret sources led him to the arrest of the defendants.
“On December 6, 2014 we received information that a bomb was planted on Shaikh Zayed Highway.
“The bomb squad went there and found the explosive device underground.
“I carried out my investigations and my secret sources led me to the defendants.
“In addition, one of the defendants’ fingerprints were lifted off a mobile phone connected to the bomb.
“The defendants wanted to cause havoc and spread fear amongst people.”
The High Criminal Court, which is hearing the case, adjourned the trial to July 31 for review.
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