Court to review appeal in intelligence case on September 9

Manama, June 27 (BNA): The Public Prosecution has completed the study of all the shortcomings found in the first instance court ruling in the case of intelligence links with a neighbouring country, Attorney General Osama Al Oufi said. Based on the conclusions, the Prosecution appealed the ruling and the High Court of Appeals decided to consider the objection on September 9. Al Oufi said that the verdict included many errors in application of the law and objected to the shortcomings in the analysis of the strong evidences supporting the case. He pointed out that the case was fully supported by irrefutable evidences which undoubtedly proved the defendants had established intelligence links with a neighbouring country to commit hostile acts against Bahrain to undermine its national interest. Major evidence is the recordings of the telephone conversations between the first and second defendants and Qatari officials. There is also the fact that the first defendant Ali Salman confessed during his questioning that he played a part in the telephone conversation with the second strong man in that country which included their agreement and coordination regarding Bahrain’s internal situations and steering the chaotic rioting incidents in the Kingdom to obstruct the national efforts aimed to contain them, Al Oufi said. In addition, there is a recording of a TV interview of the same Qatari official in which he admitted having communicated with the first defendant and conducting that call with him. Such evidences complement other material and verbal proofs against the defendants that prove they implemented the tasks assigned to them by the Qatari officials. Al Oufi said that the legal errors committed in the verdict and its failure to discuss the evidences resulted in the acquittal of the defendants despite the evidence in the lawsuit. The Prosecution’s objection memorandum submitted to the High Court of Appeal detailed the shortcomings of the erroneous verdict, he added. The attorney general affirmed that the foreign intelligence connection was proven against its parties, both inside Bahrain and abroad, asserting that the Public Prosecution will implicate all the parties involved in this crime in the case through the considerably strong available evidences. He added that the Public Prosecution is the branch of the judiciary which is entrusted with this lawsuit. The Prosecution does not allow any entity whatsoever to interfere in its affairs or assigned tasks. Any interference in the Public Prosecution or the judiciary is prohibited under the Constitution and the law, as is clearly stated as a globally acceptable principle. "Therefore, the Public Prosecution will not consider any external statements that might affect its own duties, the national security of the Kingdom or its internal affairs," Al Oufi said.