A 22-year-old man allegedly stole a car and totalled another after being handed the two vehicles to re-register and insure them by the Bahraini owner, who lives abroad.
The defendant from Muharraq is accused of forging the owner’s signature to transfer the cars to his own name before selling them because his friend ‘needed the money’.
The 33-year-old owner had asked the defendant to complete vehicle paperwork on his behalf, and then drive the cars to him in Dammam.
Despite reporting the case initially, the owner has now withdrawn his complaint against the young Bahraini, submitting a signed waiver to the High Criminal Court.
“I withdraw my suit against the defendant, and relinquish my rights to civil damages in the case,” the notarised document read.
The defendant was earlier charged with falsifying the victim’s signature on vehicle ownership transfer forms, and using the documents knowing they were forged.
The defendant was also charged with theft of property entrusted to him, and harming the interests of the person who gave him the property, after allegedly transferring the cars’ to himself.
The court heard that two days after being asked for his services, the defendant called the owner to say that he had crashed the car. He promised he would compensate him BD2,500 to make up for it, but asked for some time.
Two months later, the owner returned to Bahrain in another vehicle, and asked for the money, but the defendant requested more time.
When the owner tried to exit Bahrain through the causeway, he was stopped because his car’s registration and insurance had not been renewed. He then approached the defendant again for his services.
After a few days, the owner testified that while checking the eTraffic app he noticed that both vehicles he owned were no longer under his name.
When questioned, the defendant told him that one car was totalled, and that he transferred the second to his own name before selling it “since his friend needed the money.”
The owner then reported the young man to authorities.
Judges set July 28 as the date for the verdict.
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