A man who was granted a third opportunity to appeal by Bahrain’s highest court has lost his retrial in a BD143,000 money laundering case.
He had previously been sentenced by the High Criminal Court to five years in prison and fined BD50,000 for laundering the proceeds of crimes linked to fraud and the misuse of electronic signatures.
The court also ordered the confiscation of BD143,606, which was found to be proceeds of the offences.
He appealed the ruling before the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, but the plea was dismissed after he failed to appear before the judges.
He then took the case to the Cassation Court, which referred it back to the appeals court, granting him another chance to challenge the verdict.
However, the appeal was again dismissed after he failed to appear before the court.
The GDN previously reported that the man had acquired the BD143,000 in cash after withdrawing the funds from ATMs and then re-depositing them into his personal bank accounts in an apparent attempt to obscure their origin.
The alleged concealment involved transfers, withdrawals, purchases and the movement of funds through multiple accounts to make the money appear legitimate.
Prosecutors accused him of carrying out the transactions while knowing that the funds were the proceeds of crime.
Between 2022 and 2024, he allegedly possessed and used an electronic signature creation tool to generate a credential, which he then used to commit fraud and gain unauthorised access to a digital system. He subsequently altered and falsified records for his own benefit.
After being found guilty, he failed to attend several key appeal hearings, having refused to be brought from prison to the courtroom. His lawyer also did not submit a defence, and he ultimately lost his bid to overturn the conviction.
In its ruling, the Cassation Court stated that an appellant has the right to be represented by a lawyer, who must submit a formal defence before the court rather than merely presenting verbal arguments.
“The lawyer appointed to represent the appellant did not submit a defence before the appeals court and instead requested adjournments of the hearings, which the court declined,” read the verdict.
“An appellant has the right to legal representation at all stages of the judicial process, not only during the initial trial.
“Because that did not occur, the Cassation Court considers the proceedings invalid and has therefore overturned the verdict, referring the case back to the court that originally heard it.”
At the third appeal, his lawyer appeared and asked for the hearing to be adjourned, so she could present evidence related to the unique licence plates and simulation machines he had purchased. He also appeared to have failed to attend the hearings.
The court rejected the request, stating that it was under no obligation to grant the appellant and his defence any additional time beyond what had already been provided.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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