Asian Employee Sentenced to Three Years in Prison and Deportation for Bribery Attempt at General Sports Authority

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: ashen@newsofbahrain.com

An Asian employee working for an engineering company contracted by the General Sports Authority (GSA) to provide staff has been sentenced to three years in prison followed by immediate deportation for attempting to bribe a contractor.

The Lower Criminal Court found the employee guilty of demanding a 30,000 Bahraini dinar bribe from a contractor working for the GSA in exchange for securing a contract.

The employee, who has not been publicly identified, maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming that audio recordings of his conversations with the contractor were misinterpreted and taken out of context.

The incident came to light after the Public Prosecution received a report from the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic & Electronic Security detailing a complaint filed by the GSA. The complaint alleged that an employee had solicited a bribe from a contractor.

The Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution investigated the matter thoroughly, taking statements from GSA officials and witnesses. They also translated audio recordings of conversations between the accused and the contractor. The recordings, along with witness testimonies, allegedly confirmed the employee's attempt to solicit the bribe.

Based on the evidence gathered, the Public Prosecution issued an order to apprehend the employee. He was subsequently questioned and confronted with the evidence. While he acknowledged the audio recordings, he vehemently denied the bribery accusation, maintaining his innocence throughout the investigation.

The Public Prosecution ordered his detention pending further investigation and referred the case to the Small Criminal Court 3 on charges of bribery. The employee's defense team presented their arguments, aiming to challenge the prosecution's case and seek an acquittal for their client.

However, the court found the evidence presented by the prosecution compelling and ultimately convicted the employee. The employee, in his own defense, has asserted that the audio recordings were misinterpreted and that his conversations with the contractor were taken out of context.

He maintains that he never intended to solicit a bribe and that his actions were misconstrued. "I am innocent of these charges," the employee stated. "The recordings were taken out of context. I was simply trying to help the contractor navigate the process of securing a contract, which is something I am familiar with in my role."

He also expressed frustration with the accusations, stating, "I have worked diligently, and I would never jeopardise my reputation or career by engaging in bribery."