Pair get 10-year jail in bribery casePublished: Saturday, 31 May, 2008, 01:59 AM Doha Time
By Nour Abuzant
A QATAR Petroleum engineer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being caught in a bribery sting.
The Indian worker had allegedly assured a Palestinian constructor, via an intermediary, that he could secure him a tender at the company’s plant for QR2mn.
The shocked Palestinian subsequently contacted the authorities and agreed to help the police trap the engineer.
On Thursday, both the engineer and an Indian mediator were given 10-year jail sentence and fined QR500,000. They will be deported once their prison terms are finished.
Although the Public Prosecution brought charges against the Palestinian he was fully cleared of any wrong doing. In fact, the court considered his assistance in the case as crucial to bringing the two men to justice.
The court was told that after the construction boss had showed an interest in competing for QP business, a man acting as a mediator implied he could win the contract for a QR2mn bribe. The engineer was on the committee that decided who would get the tender.
The construction dealer “felt the sum was too high” and informed the authorities about the deal.
State security investigators then asked the Palestinian to continue negotiations with the Indians as they monitored his calls.
In August 2004, the Palestinian visited the engineer’s house to seal the deal – bringing with him a first instalment of QR500,000 in cash plus three cheques totalling QR1.5mn.
The cash had been provided by security officials, the bank notes had been photocopied, and the construction boss was wired so that investigators could listen in on the negotiations.
About half an hour into the deal, the authorities swooped. An officer involved in the sting said: “We raided the house and then we confiscated the cash and the cheques.”
The Public Prosecution had initially sought to charge the Palestinian with initiating the crime, but his lawyer successfully argued that without his co-operation there would have been no corruption case against the engineer and mediator.
The prisoners are permitted to appeal the decisi
Pair get 10-year jail in bribery casePublished: Saturday, 31 May, 2008, 01:59 AM Doha Time
By Nour Abuzant
A QATAR Petroleum engineer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being caught in a bribery sting.
The Indian worker had allegedly assured a Palestinian constructor, via an intermediary, that he could secure him a tender at the company’s plant for QR2mn.
The shocked Palestinian subsequently contacted the authorities and agreed to help the police trap the engineer.
On Thursday, both the engineer and an Indian mediator were given 10-year jail sentence and fined QR500,000. They will be deported once their prison terms are finished.
Although the Public Prosecution brought charges against the Palestinian he was fully cleared of any wrong doing. In fact, the court considered his assistance in the case as crucial to bringing the two men to justice.
The court was told that after the construction boss had showed an interest in competing for QP business, a man acting as a mediator implied he could win the contract for a QR2mn bribe. The engineer was on the committee that decided who would get the tender.
The construction dealer “felt the sum was too high” and informed the authorities about the deal.
State security investigators then asked the Palestinian to continue negotiations with the Indians as they monitored his calls.
In August 2004, the Palestinian visited the engineer’s house to seal the deal – bringing with him a first instalment of QR500,000 in cash plus three cheques totalling QR1.5mn.
The cash had been provided by security officials, the bank notes had been photocopied, and the construction boss was wired so that investigators could listen in on the negotiations.
About half an hour into the deal, the authorities swooped. An officer involved in the sting said: “We raided the house and then we confiscated the cash and the cheques.”
The Public Prosecution had initially sought to charge the Palestinian with initiating the crime, but his lawyer successfully argued that without his co-operation there would have been no corruption case against the engineer and mediator.
The prisoners are permitted to appeal the decisi