Free gym access lands receptionist in jail

TDT | Manama

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A receptionist at a popular gym in Ramli Mall has been sentenced to three months in jail after allowing customers to work out for free and pocketing the losses.

The court also ordered her deportation following her conviction for embezzling funds and tampering with company records.

The gym’s owner, represented by lawyer Essam Al Tayeb, filed the complaint, accusing the former employee of falsifying attendance logs and giving non-paying clients access to the facilities.

The fraudulent scheme reportedly ran from mid-June 2022 to December 2023, during her time as a receptionist.

Attendance records Court documents reveal that she doctored attendance records to cover up her absences, while also allowing several gym-goers to train without paying membership fees or after their subscriptions had lapsed.

This led to financial damage for the gym. The gym owner also accused her of stealing written warnings and key company documents, some of which contained sensitive information about employees, suppliers, and customers, before she fled to the Philippines.

Furthermore, she was said to have shirked her duties by engaging in disputes with members and failing to distribute membership cards.

Protocols Adding to the chaos, the accused allegedly kept her own salary receipt book instead of following company protocols, which only worsened the financial mess caused by her actions.

Under Article 424 of the Bahraini Penal Code, which addresses embezzlement by employees, the court delivered its judgement.

The case also invoked Article 395, which covers breach of trust, defining it as the misuse or theft of property entrusted to an individual under a contract.

Essam Al Tayeb, the gym owner's lawyer