A Bahraini man acquitted of his involvement in sorcery could have a spell behind bars if the verdict is overturned following an appeal raised by the Public Prosecution.
The 38-year-old was accused of aiding and abetting a 29-year-old Bahraini man found guilty of practising black magic.
Although the 38-year-old was acquitted of the charges by the Lower Criminal Court, his co-defendant was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison and a BD5,000 fine.
The Public Prosecution appealed the acquittal decision at the High Criminal Appeals Court while also requesting that the 29-year-old’s original verdict be upheld.
The GDN previously reported that the 29-year-old tricked a Bahraini couple into believing that he was a spiritual healer who could cure ailments through the powers of the Holy Quran.
He was found guilty of stealing jewellery, two cars and a plot of land, in addition to sums of cash totalling more than BD100,000 between 2020 and 2021.
The 29-year-old appeared at the High Criminal Appeals Court behind a glass partition. His 38-year-old alleged accomplice also stood before the judges.
The Chief Prosecutor present during the hearing submitted a request to hear the testimony of the victims, as part of evidentiary corroboration of the 38-year-old’s alleged involvement in the crime.
He also requested an annulment of the acquittal while also upholding the original verdict issued for the 29-year-old earlier this month.
As previously reported, the husband, a 37-year-old Bahraini, had initially believed in the ‘powers’ of the accused along with his wife, but later submitted a complaint to the Budaiya Police Station claiming that the 29-year-old had tricked his wife.
According to court documents, it all began in 2020 after the husband underwent a neck surgery.
His wife told him that a religious preacher had special powers and could heal him faster with the Quran and he agreed to use honey and oil provided by the convicted sorcerer on the wound.
The 29-year-old then told the husband and wife that a ‘dark spirit’ was ‘harming’ their daughter and they needed to commence treatment and also claimed that someone had performed black magic on a piece of land owned by the couple in Duraz.
According to case files, once the conman gained the trust of the couple, he informed the woman that her gold jewellery had a spell on it.
He said breaking the spell would cost as much as the value of the gold – BD7,000 – while also claiming that it could not be sold while the spell was ‘active’.
The 29-year-old also sought BD9,000 for the ‘treatments’ – which were allegedly delivered to the couple by the 38-year-old– and threatened to harm the pair of them if the sum was not paid.
The trial was adjourned until Tuesday for lawyers to present their arguments.
reem@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))