Salmabad bootleggers’ trial adjourned

TDT | Manama

The First High Criminal Court this week adjourned the trial of three Asian men, who are accused of illegally selling alcoholic beverages last Ramadan and assaulting police, to August 24. The court’s decision to adjourn the trial came to summon the prosecution witness, so he can verbally testify against them.

The details of the case show that a police officer received a tip from an informant about one of the suspect’s illegal activities of selling alcoholic beverages during the Holy Month of Ramadan (May 2020), with the help of others, in the Salmabad area in the Northern Governorate.

Based on the received information, an ambush was set up in coordination with the informant, who approached one of the defendants and requested to buy liquor worth BD2. Police arrested the man on the spot while selling the alcohol to the informant. According to the testimonies of the policemen, the man attempted to escape and he was eventually caught.

However, he assaulted one of the officers by punching him several times in the face before he was handcuffed by the other policemen. The bootlegger led the police to his accomplices, who are all now in their custody.

On May 8 of this year, the defendants were interrogated by the Public Prosecution, which referred them to the court for trial after charging them with illegal selling of alcoholic beverages, while one of them was accused of assaulting an on-duty public servant (the policeman).