Jail term of fake gold seller upheld

Manama : The Supreme Court of Appeals had upheld a five-year jail term given to a Pakistani national for selling over BD30,000 worth of fake gold to shops here.

The defendant was accused by the Public Prosecution, on 11 September 2014, of counterfeiting official gold stamp and using it to sell fake gold with an anonymous partner as well as using a fake passport issued in Pakistan to complete his scams.

Initially, he was sentenced by the High Criminal Court to seven years in jail and deportation. He later appealed against the verdict, which was later reduced to five years.

According to court files, the defendant sold 13 fake pieces of gold to a jeweller in Riffa area. The worker at the shop later discovered that the gold is fake and lodged a complaint at the East Riffa Police Station.

Police later identified the suspect, who was found to have links with a series of similar other frauds. He was sentenced in absentia in previous scam cases.