Two Bahrainis sentenced for forging PCR certificates to enter Saudi Arabia

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Tampering with the dates of PCR test certificates to gain entry to Saudi Arabia through King Fahad Causeway landed two Bahrainis in jail for a year.

Court files say the duo faked the certificate, as one of them failed to bring a newly obtained certificate. So, to avoid getting rejected, they decided to change the dates on the certificate.

However, they could not fool the authorities. Bahraini police arrested the men after the Saudi authorities notified them of the crime. The first defendant used to travel regularly to Saudi Arabia to sell sweets. However, he wasn’t aware of the new requirement to take a PCR test 72 hours before entering Saudi after the causeway reopening.

“I had a test done before, and the result was negative. Therefore, I used it and changed the date to avoid turning back,” the first defendant confessed during questioning. His co-traveller also got implicated in the case, for he knew that the first defendant had modified the test result.

Public prosecution charged the duo with forgery. The Chief Prosecutor warned that tampering with the results of the Coronavirus examination and related documents constitutes a felony. Forging official documents issued by the state is a serious crime punishable by imprisonment for up to ten years.