Bahraini School Teacher Sentenced for Embezzlement and Forgery

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini school teacher has been sentenced to one year in prison for embezzling over 1,865 Bahraini dinars and 240 fils from her school. The High Criminal Court also ordered the suspension of the sentence for three years and the confiscation of the forged documents.

The case stemmed from an audit conducted by the Ministry of Education's Financial Resources Department at the school. During the audit, numerous invoices were found to have been altered, with amounts changed using "white-out" and other methods. The investigation revealed that the teacher, responsible for entering invoices, processing them, and printing payment vouchers, was responsible for the alterations. She also held the position of supervisor for maintenance, procurement, and payments, and was a member of the school's financial committee.

The audit uncovered discrepancies in the invoices, including a receipt from a commercial establishment that showed a balance of 46 Bahraini dinars. Upon contacting the merchant, it was discovered that the original receipt only reflected a value of 6 Bahraini Dinars. Further examination of the invoices submitted by the school revealed numerous alterations to the total amounts.

The investigation concluded that the teacher, who managed the school's financial affairs, colluded with merchants to misappropriate funds. She would then enter the altered amounts into the system, process the invoices, and present the payment vouchers to the cashier. The total amount embezzled through these fraudulent activities exceeded 1,800 Bahraini dinars.

The Public Prosecution charged the teacher with embezzlement, forgery of official documents, and forgery of private documents. The court found her guilty on all charges, sentencing her to one year in prison. The sentence will be suspended for three years, and all forged documents will be confiscated.