The president of a football club has been sentenced to six months in prison after being found guilty of taking illegal advantage of his position of power and allowing a sub-tenant a rent reduction without board approval.
According to court documents, the rent issue cost the club BD9,700 in lost revenue, since he gave discounts to one of those who leased its space, despite the board not approving the action.
The High Criminal Court also found the man guilty of benefiting another individual or organisation at the expense of the club and taking advantage of his signatory position.
He was sentenced to two months in prison for each charge – embezzlement, subletting and harming the club’s interests – totalling six months, and he was initially ordered to repay BD1,720 to the club and pay a BD1,000 fine.
Judges suspended for three years the verdicts if the accused paid BD200 bail until all appeal options were expended.
The man contested the sentence at the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, which ruled to drop the payback order but upheld all the other penalties. He took to the Cassation Court and a final appeal was rejected by judges.
The Public Prosecution began investigating the case after receiving a report about the defendant from the General Sports Authority, which had already held an internal examination into the allegations.
A National Audit Office report stated that oversight of the club’s financial activities raised suspicions of wrong-doing and prosecutors launched a probe into the accusations, interviewed witnesses and inspected documents related to the case.
“The defendant exploited the fact that he was the club’s authorised signatory. He obtained the signature of another authorised signatory under the guise of asking them to sign a quotation, in violation of protocol and procedure.
“He also exempted a tenant from rent on one occasion, and gave him a discount on another, in direct opposition to the board of directors’ decision not to.”
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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