Swedish businessman conned

Manama

A Bahraini man reportedly swindled BD37,000 from a Swedish businessman after promising him to help get Bahraini citizenship. The alleged conman, 45, is said to have posed as a Ministry of Interior official when he met the 56-year-old victim, who was looking to launch projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Bahraini allegedly informed the Swedish man that if he wanted to operate business in Bahrain, he must obtain the Bahraini nationality. "He told me he would help me to get it (the Bahraini citizenship) and requested BD37,000 to do this favour to me. I settled the amount in three installments, and he was giving me cheques in return of the received money in a bid to get my confidence,” the European man said. "Then I found out that I fell to a fraud."

Later it was found that even the cheques were issued under a company name owned by a lady and not the defendant himself, who forged them. He has been accused of fraud and forgery.