Public servant loses plea in bribery case

TDT | Manama

The First Supreme Criminal Court of Appeal upheld a five-year prison sentence issued against a public servant who was found guilty of bribery. In addition to his jail term, the appellant, who was an official at the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, was also fined BD1,000 for the crime.

According to court files, the man was convicted after he requested a bribe worth BD2,000 from a local construction company to overlook a violation. It claimed that the construction company fixed lights in a project for the Ministry not in accordance with the agreement signed between the two parties.

Investigations revealed that changing the lights would cost the company a whopping BD18,000 and the employee of the ministry jumped at the opportunity and requested to be paid to overlook the violation. The appellant was arrested red-handed as he was taking the money from the company.

“He called me and offered me his help to get the violation approved,” the construction company’s manager told prosecutors earlier. “He requested BD2,000. “I directly informed his superiors and I was requested to give him the money in an effort to have evidence against him.”

The appellant was sentenced in February earlier this year, but he pleaded not guilty and later appealed against the court verdict. The Supreme Criminal Court of Appeal deliberated the case and, due to the provided evidence, the court upheld the previously pronounced sentence.