September 16, Manama (BNA): Ten defendants were found guilty by the First High Criminal Court, according to the announcement made by the Head of the Public Prosecution for Financial and Money Laundering Crimes.
Public Prosecution convicts ten for fraudulent claims from Social Insurance Organisation, Tamkeen
For charges such as submitting false data through the electronic system of the Social Insurance Organization and the Labour Fund “Tamkeen,” as well as forging documents and using them to unlawfully obtain more than BD 230,000 from the two entities, the defendants face sentences ranging from ten years in prison to one year, with fines of BD 100,000 imposed on two of them and BD 500 on the others.
The case started when the Public Prosecution for Financial and Money Laundering Crimes received many reports from the Social Insurance Organization about a number of business owners who had illegally taken more than BD 90,000 from the organization’s finances. In order to take advantage of social insurance benefits, the defendants added or removed insured people from the organization’s electronic system and submitted fraudulent paperwork. Due to the creation of false employment periods, they were able to make unjustified claims for lump sum payments, retirement pensions, and end-of-service gratuity.
Additionally, Tamkeen reported to the Public Prosecution on multiple occasions that the same defendants had illegally collected more than BD 140,000 from the Fund, which was given as pay support, by submitting falsified documents via its electronic system.
After receiving testimony from witnesses, including Tamkeen and representatives of the Social Insurance Organization, the Public Prosecution promptly began its investigations. It froze the defendants’ assets and accounts and banned them from traveling. The General Directorate for Combating Corruption, Economic, and Electronic Security’s Anti-Corruption Crimes Directorate conducted investigations that verified the defendants’ involvement. The accused’ financial movements and transactions were to be monitored by the National Financial Investigations Unit. Employees of the companies in question also testified, and a forgery specialist at the Material Evidence Department verified that their employment contracts had been fabricated.
The suspects were then arrested, questioned, and presented with the verbal, material, and technical evidence gathered by the Public Prosecution. Following that, the defendants were sent for a criminal trial, which ended with the judgment being announced.
