Seven expatriate defendants have been fined a total of BD211,000 and ordered to be permanently deported from Bahrain after being convicted of obtaining and retaining work permits without any genuine need for the workers, the Public Prosecution said yesterday.
The Lower Criminal Court issued the verdicts following investigations into a case involving 64 fictitious commercial establishments that were found not to exist in reality.
The Attorney General, who also heads the Public Prosecution for Ministries and Public Entities, said the case came to light following several reports submitted by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) after periodic inspection campaigns by its judicial officers.
The inspections were carried out to ensure compliance with the provisions of Bahrain's Labour Market Regulatory Law.
Investigations revealed that the seven defendants, who are Asian nationals, had exploited fictitious commercial registrations to obtain 211 work permits for foreign workers.
The permits were allegedly retained despite there being no genuine requirement for the workers authorised under them.
Following receipt of the LMRA reports, the Public Prosecution launched an investigation, questioning the defendants who had been arrested and ordering the arrest and apprehension of those who remained at large.
Prosecutors also heard witness testimony and examined relevant documents and technical reports before completing the investigation and referring the defendants to the competent court.
The court subsequently convicted the defendants, imposed the fines totalling BD211,000 and ordered their permanent deportation from Bahrain after paying the fines.
The Attorney General stressed that the Public Prosecution would continue to confront practices that undermine the labour market and violate Bahrain's laws and regulations, while taking legal action against those who exploit commercial registrations and work permit systems for unlawful purposes.
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