Cash for influence defendants sentenced to jail

Manama, Feb. 6 (BNA): The High Criminal Court sentenced a Bahraini to five years in jail on charges of receiving cash illegally from a foreign entity in order to run in the parliamentary elections last year. He was also ordered to pay a BD2,000 fine. His accomplice was sentenced to three years in jail and to a fine of BD1,000, Attorney General Ahmed Al Hammadi said. According to the case documents, the public prosecution launched an investigation after it was informed that the two defendants had received cash illegally from abroad. One of the defendant was given the cash to run in the elections and to use it in his electoral campaign. The investigation revealed that the money would ultimately lead to interference in the domestic affairs of Bahrain through exerting negative influence in a constitutional institution – the parliament- and through taking action that would serve the interests and objective of a foreign entity. Accordingly, an order was issued to monitor and record the telephone conversations between the defendants, which confirmed the validity of the investigation findings. The defendants were arrested upon their return from abroad carrying cash exceeding 12,000 Bahraini Dinars and 5,000 Qatari Riyals, without disclosing them to the customs officers. The Public Prosecution conducted intensive investigations, took statements from witnesses and checked the suspects' bank accounts, finding they received money from abroad through a bank transfer amounting to BD 235,804, in addition to the cash they carried with them into the country. Based on the indisputable evidence against them, the two men were referred to the High Criminal Court, Al Hammadi said.