A Bahraini, originally sentenced in absentia to three years in prison and fined BD3,000 for allegedly fraudulently withdrawing BD2,490 from a businessman’s bank account, will learn his fate at the High Criminal Court following a retrial.
The 36-year-old has been accused of exploiting the absence of the company owner by obtaining a replacement SIM card in his name that enabled him to gain access to an electronic payment app and reach into his bank account to withdraw BD2,490.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on June 6, 2023, when the defendant allegedly used the victim’s electronic signature and verification codes to activate the BenefitPay app.
He also reportedly unlawfully appropriated funds through fraudulent means by activating linked bank accounts and withdrawing BD2,490.
He denies all charges.
A 42-year-old GCC national, who spends most of his time overseas in neighbouring countries as a company owner, told the court that he had granted the defendant a limited power of attorney to manage certain company affairs in Bahrain as he travelled, with the authority restricted to opening bank accounts only and did not permit the defendant to handle funds, use the accounts, or access the registered telephone number linked to them.
The businessman told the authorities that the defendant took advantage of his absence and obtained a SIM card linked to his official phone number. This enabled the defendant to receive verification codes associated with the BenefitPay application, gain access to his bank account, and transfer the money in two transactions, one to the defendant’s own account and the other to his daughter’s account.
According to the victim, when he arrived to the kingdom through the King Fahad Causeway, he discovered that his SIM card was no longer functioning.
He immediately visited a branch of the telecommunications company, where an employee informed him that the SIM card might have been damaged or burnt out and advised him to obtain a replacement for a damaged SIM.
He was not informed that a replacement SIM card had already been issued in his name earlier that same morning.
The following day, the victim attempted to use a credit card application and was surprised to find insufficient funds in his account.
He contacted his bank, which confirmed that transactions had been carried out through the BenefitPay application.
After connecting the two incidents together, he filed a report with the authorities, and the accused was identified as the main suspect and referred to the High Criminal Court for trial.
During one of the hearings, a telecommunications company employee testified that the defendant had attended the branch and requested the replacement SIM in the victim’s name.
She initially refused because the account holder was required to be present. However, the defendant presented the power of attorney issued by the victim together with the relevant supporting documents.
Based on those documents, she completed the transaction and handed over the SIM card to him and only learned the next day that the GCC national had been a victim of theft.
An official from the company’s anti-money laundering team also testified that records had been reviewed and confirmed that two financial transactions were carried out – the first for BD1,490 and the second for BD1,000.
He was sentenced by the court and filed an appeal which was successful and the case was referred back to the High Criminal Court.
Judges will announce their verdict on next Tuesday.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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