Bahrain: A businessman, accused of illegally leaving the country, and a former police lieutenant’s son, who helped him flee, have had their jail terms cancelled
on appeal.
The 51-year-old owner of a company, who is married to the former police lieutenant’s sister, fled to Qatar without presenting proper documentation through King Fahad Causeway in
November 2014.
He said he was rushed to prepare his luggage after the co-defendant informed him that his father wanted him to leave the country immediately for his “own good”.
The defendant, who was previously charged with fraud cases, was smuggled out in the co-defendant’s vehicle and was told to stay “quiet” and not to look “left or right”. He admitted that he stayed in Qatar for 315 days before returning to Bahrain.
He was charged with illegally leaving the country while the co-defendant was found guilty of aiding and abetting the crime. They were sentenced to four months behind bars and fined BD400 by the Lower Criminal Court.
However, they were later released on BD200 bail after lodging an appeal against their conviction at the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court. The appeal’s court threw out their sentences but upheld the BD400 fine.
The former police lieutenant (co-defendant’s father) has previously been jailed for a total of 13 years and three months for fraud, defamation, insults, embezzlement and weapons possession in separate cases.
&uuid=(email))