Arab woman, man on trail in Bahrain for laundering $5 million

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com 

Two Arab nationals are facing trial in Bahrain on money laundering charges and embezzlement of public funds in a GCC country.

Case files say the pair laundered around $5 million and used it to purchase various lucrative properties in Bahrain.

The Fourth High Criminal Court has started hearing the case.

The next hearing is on November 30. The first defendant is a 39-year-old fugitive woman who lives in the Gulf, case files say.

Public Prosecution has charged her with opening a bank account in Bahrain for transferring $5 million from the misappropriated funds.

The second defendant, a 48-year-old Arab investor, allegedly purchased and managed for the woman a real estate property in Juffair for BD 1.8 million, another in Amwaj Islands for BD 950,000, and land and a villa in Juffair for BD 347,000.

Investigators also found that the woman made other purchases and transferred money to her father’s account in her home country, leaving BD 90,000 in her account.

However, the second defendant denied charges that he abetted the woman in committing the crime.

The man, investigators told the court, facilitated financial transactions for the woman while knowing that funds were illegal.

In the upcoming session, the court will hear the lawyer of the second defendant.

The Public Prosecution charged the first defendant with laundering money obtained through the misappropriation of public funds in a GCC country.