Court to decide fate of European’s appeal in forged passport case

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

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A 75-year-old European man, previously sentenced to three years in prison and deportation for attempting to enter Bahrain with a forged passport, is awaiting the verdict on his appeal. He will learn the fate of his appeal on September 30th.

The Appeals Court has been reviewing the evidence presented during the initial trial and considering the arguments put forth by the defendant’s legal team.

The defendant, who maintained his innocence during the initial trial, was found guilty by the High Criminal Court of using a forged electronic document – a passport – to enter the country.

The incident occurred on March 22, 2024, when the defendant, with the help of a well-meaning employee, entered false information into a government system belonging to the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs.

Fabricated dat This was done with the intention of using the fabricated data to gain entry into Bahrain. He then presented a forged passport, purportedly issued by a European country, at Bahrain International Airport. Investigations revealed that the defendant had entered the country under false pretenses.

He presented the forged passport to the passport officer at the airport, who accepted it without realizing its fraudulent nature.

A witness confirmed that they were responsible for receiving travelers’ passports and verifying their details against the passport photo. A report from the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Forensic Evidence confirmed that the passport used in the case was forged.

The original data page and photo had been replaced with a completely fabricated page, which was then attached to the passport.