Court Rules No Proof Against Worker in Employment Case

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A court has acquitted an office worker accused of unlawfully employing a foreigner, ruling that there was no concrete evidence linking him to the hiring process. The Lower Criminal Court found the case lacked proof that he had any authority over staff employment.

Lawyer Yousef Ghoneim stated that his client was charged with using a worker outside the terms of his work permit in 2024, in violation of Labour Market Regulation Law No. 19 of 2006, as amended by Law No. 40 of 2014. A BD 1,000 penalty order was issued against him, but he contested the ruling.

The charge stemmed from a Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) inspection, where an official saw the worker using a computer at a desk. Though his permit was valid for the same company, his job title did not match LMRA records, leading to the alleged breach.

During hearings, the defence argued that the penalty was wrongly imposed, as the defendant had no role in hiring or assigning duties. Ghoneim emphasized that his client was neither an owner, a partner, nor authorized to sign on behalf of the firm, but merely an administrative employee.

The defence also clarified that the worker was still on probation and had been temporarily moved from operations to accounting for assessment before a formal job title change, which had since been completed.

The Lower Criminal Court overturned the penalty order, ruling it void, and fully acquitted the defendant.