Bahrain: British bankers may face charges

Media reports this week suggest that the three British bankers, formerly executives at Awal Bank, may face charges in Bahrain. Alistair MacLeod, Cliff Giddings and Anthony James were only recently allowed to leave the country, having been the subject of a travel ban for nearly 18 months.

In an article on the 8^th March, Britain’s The Daily Telegraph reports that Bahrain’s Public Prosecutor, Nawaf Abdulla Hamza, has announced that a hearing will take place – this Monday – in Bahrain’s lower criminal court.

As the newspaper explains, “In Bahrain, the court, not the prosecutor, has the power to bring criminal charges.” As such, we will not learn until this hearing what is the extent of any charges against the three men. However, it is noticeable that the hearing will take place in the lower court, which may give some indication as to the level and significance of the allegations against the three.

Next week promises to shed more light on the situation. Read the original Daily Telegraph report here.