NINE people are standing trial for allegedly locking up and torturing a hotel employee.
Eight Bahraini men, including four security guards and a businessman, and a Bangladeshi man are said to have held the 40-year-old victim captive at an office at the hotel in Manama in October last year.
The cashier told prosecutors that his assailants attacked him with wooden planks and threatened to kill him if he did not return BD300 which they accused him of pocketing.
Three of the defendants are at large and are being tried in absentia.
However, only two Bahraini men appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday to plead not guilty.
“We did not hurt him, lock him up or threaten to kill him,” they told a leading judge.
However, the victim’s friend, who he had phoned to help send the BD300 to his captors through the national mobile electronic wallet (BenefitPay) informed the police about the incident.
“I was at the hotel where I worked as a cashier and they accused me of pocketing BD300,” the victim said in his statement to prosecutors.
“Suddenly they (defendants) came to speak to me before they locked me up in an office.
“They started hitting me with wooden planks over my head and I was bleeding on the ground.
“I was in pain and terrified and I told them that I did not have any money and I did not steal anything.
“They then insisted I should pay them or they will kill me and bury me, without anyone finding out.
“I then phoned my friend and he said that he can only send me BD100, before he informed the police and I was rescued hours later.
“The defendants did not agree to let me go and after they got the BD100, they asked for another BD700.
“I am lucky they did not kill me and I did nothing wrong.”
The trial has been adjourned until July 18 for review.
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