Two former bank employees in Qatar have been sentenced to 10 years in prison this week for stealing QR10 million from a sheikh’s account.

According to court documents, Muhammad Gaith Al Kuwari forged the signature of a client to transfer some QR10 million from an inactive bank account to Jabir Said Al-Mirri in 2013.

Al Kuwari worked as a customer services officer at Qatar Islamic Bank, and Al-Mirri used to work at the same bank. Both men are Qataris in their 20s.

The former was charged with forging a client’s signature and facilitating the unlawful possession of money, while Al-Mirri was charged with cooperating with a civil servant to take unlawful possession of the funds.

Court case

During the trial, the bank’s director of services testified that Al Kuwari abused his position by not following the proper protocol needed to move the money from one customer’s account into another’s.

He said that there are several forms that must be filled out, as well as a verification procedure that was skipped.

By forgoing these steps but still signing a transfer order, the witness said that Al Kuwari intended to break the law and move these funds around without the client’s permission.

A second witness, the bank’s deputy branch director, said that the Al-Mirri withdrew money from his account after the QR10 million transfer was made.

He added that Al-Mirri’s father informed him that his son showed signs of sudden riches, for instance buying cars and releasing his siblings’ debts.

In a verdict issued on Sunday, Jan. 31, a judge sentenced each defendant to 10 years in prison. He also instructed the men to pay back the QR10 million they stole and to pay a fine of another QR10 million for the theft.

The first defendant was also dismissed from his job at the bank.

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