Bahraini Man Charged with Forgery in “Banoush” Boat Ownership Scam

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A 40-year-old Bahraini man is facing charges of forgery after allegedly defrauding the government out of 26,000 Bahraini dinars through a falsified boat ownership document. The defendant, who is accused of forging the registration certificate for a boat known as “Banoush,” presented the fraudulent document to obtain payment for the vessel.

The deception remained undetected for three years until a new buyer attempted to transfer ownership. At that point, it was discovered that the Banoush was still mortgaged to a bank, with outstanding payments.

A senior environmental inspector, acting as a witness, testified that the defendant had applied to sell the Banoush in 2020 as part of a government programme to sell shrimp fishing boats. He submitted the forged registration certificate, claiming full ownership and the absence of any mortgage.

"The Banoush was valued at BD 26,000, and the defendant received a check for this amount after signing the sales contract. However, in 2023, when the new buyer attempted to transfer ownership, the process was blocked due to the outstanding mortgage," the inspector stated.

A subsequent inquiry with the bank confirmed the mortgage and the outstanding debt, revealing that the defendant had violated a clause in the sales contract stating that the seller must own the boat outright and that it cannot be mortgaged or jointly owned.

An ensuing investigation revealed the registration certificate to be a forgery. The Department of Ship Registration at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications confirmed that the Banoush remained mortgaged and that the certificate’s information was inaccurate. The certificate could not be issued without a clearance letter from the bank releasing the mortgage.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with forging an official document – the Banoush registration certificate – with the intent to use it as a genuine document. He is also charged with using the forged document and fraudulently obtaining public funds belonging to the Ministry of Finance. The High Criminal Court has scheduled a hearing for January 28th to deliver its verdict.