Asian man acquitted of cellphone robbery

Manama

The High Criminal Court acquitted an Asian man accused of robbery owing to lack of evidence. The man was charged with stealing a woman’s mobile phone. The woman told prosecutors that a stranger had intercepted her while she was near her apartment. According to her statement, after covering her mouth with his hand, he robbed her cellphone and fled. The incident happened on September 9 last year, but the victim failed to identify the suspect through a police line up. However, she chanced upon the defendant in a local market and informed the police. The High Criminal Court, however, deemed the victim’s statements as invalid, considering that there are contradictions in her claims before the Public Prosecution and her testimony before the court. “Therefore the court decided to drop the charges against the defendant, given that there were no sufficient evidences to hold him guilty of this crime,” a court verdict read.