Foreign National Acquitted in LMRA Case

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

In a dramatic courtroom twist, a foreign national accused of illegal work has been acquitted, revealing a story of misunderstanding, language barriers, and a fight for justice.

The Lower Criminal Court acquitted the man, accepting arguments that case against him was fabricated without any solid evidence.

The whole incident started when LMRA officials visited an establishment for their routine check.

Stepping in, they found a man sitting before a computer.

So, they confronted him and checked his licence in the LMRA database, only to find zero records on him.

That suddenly rendered him illegal. His inability to speak Arabic meant he also failed to explain his presence at the establishment.

Consequently, the man was booked on spot, accused of being an illegal employee.

During the trial, the inspector said he found the foreigner seated before a computer at the establishment during a routine check.

Further investigation revealed that the foreigner did not possess a valid work permit, and the inspector asserted that the man had admitted to working there.

However, Lawyer Abeer Abbas Abdulrahman, representing the man, contended that her client was innocent, accusing the inspector of fabricating evidence.

She argued that her client did not understand Arabic and had not been given a fair opportunity to defend himself.

Abdulrahman also presented a witness who testified that the foreigner had merely been inquiring about a job and had not commenced working.

The court sided with the defence, stating that there was no concrete evidence proving that the foreigner was actually employed at the establishment or receiving payment for work.

Accepting the arguments, the court also acknowledged that the language barrier hindered the foreigner’s ability to defend himself during the arrest.

Consequently, the court acquitted the foreigner of all charges and ordered the expungement of his criminal record.