Cassation Court Upholds Deportation of Woman Convicted of Embezzlement

The Cassation Court has upheld the conviction and deportation of a woman in her sixties for embezzling rent payments from four apartments. The woman, who held a power of attorney for the properties, was found guilty of misappropriating funds entrusted to her.

The case, which came to light in 2023, involved the woman's management of four apartments owned by a Bahraini citizen. She was given power of attorney in 2018 to collect rent. However, investigations revealed that she had kept the rent money for her use from 2018 to 2023, failing to remit the funds to the owner. Furthermore, she neglected to pay service charges (electricity and water) for three of the apartments and illegally occupied the fourth without paying rent or seeking permission.

The defense argued that the woman had been managing the properties and remitting rent from three of the apartments, claiming she lived in the fourth with the owner's consent.
The defense also attributed any financial discrepancies to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said impacted the rental market, particularly in high-cost areas.

The defense also contested the plausibility of the embezzled amount – 23,000 Bahraini dinars – given the owner's alleged knowledge and inaction over five years. They also highlighted the woman's advanced age and clean criminal record.

Despite the defense's arguments, the court found the woman guilty of embezzlement, affirming the earlier conviction by the Public Prosecution. The court ordered her immediate and permanent deportation from Bahrain.