Traffic employee jailed for accepting bribes

An Arab national who was employed by the General Directorate of Traffic has been sentenced to one year behind bars for accepting bribes.

Two other Asian men stood trial with him in the case, but they were acquitted by the High Criminal Court due to lack of evidence.

 The Arab man is said to have been conning money out of people under the pretext that he could sort out their traffic-related issues. The two Asian men, on the other hand, were believed to have offered their first co-defendant bribes to cancel their traffic violations despite knowing that their acts were illegal, according to court files.

Ironically, the case was brought to light by the Asian co-defendant who reported the incident to police.

“My car was confiscated by traffic authorities and the Arab man told me that he was a driver in the Traffic Department. He said I can get out of legal cobwebs if I pay him BD800. I gave him the money, but he didn’t do anything,” the Asian man said.

Further investigations found that another Asian man had also bribed the accused to get his thing done with the Traffic Department.

However, the High Criminal Court found only the Arab man guilty in the case.