A man convicted of illegally using government-subsidised flour has been granted reprieve after an appeals court ruling replaced his three-month prison sentence with a community service order.
The court heard that the bakery, where the appellant worked at, had illegally used another bakery’s subsidised flour, without a permit from the government.
According to court documents, the bakery had applied through the Industry and Commerce Ministry’s website to receive its supply of subsidised flour but was awaiting the outcome of its application.
During a field visit to the bakery by the ministry’s Consumer Protection Directorate, officials found bags of subsidised flour before the process had been completed.
The baker was asked to explain and stated that he had received the flour from another bakery, which was closed at that time.
The High Criminal Court previously found him guilty of using flour ‘subsidised for traditional and mechanised bakeries’ without operating within the frame of the law.
He was sentenced to three months in prison and fined BD250 but the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court ruled to treat him with a measure of mercy, exchanging his jail time with community service.
Bakery owners can apply for special cards allowing them to buy discounted flour used to make freshly-baked khubuz (flatbread), a staple in Bahrain.
&uuid=(email))