almotamar.net - The primary section at the Special Penal Court sentenced for two years imprisonment the chairman of the Watani Bank board of directors Dr Ahmed Ali al-Hamdani and he will remain responsible for the loans and facilities granted without guarantees.

The court chaired by Judge Najib al-Qadiri head of the section issued its verdict of 8 months imprisonment against Thaer Ali Ahmed Shaalan, Abdeh Mahyoub Abdullah al-Mahyoub, Abdullah Mohammed Mohammed al-Khawlani and Naji Abdullah al-Ghadir.

The court also sentenced for one year in prison against Abdullah Ali Saghir al-Maznaie, Bashir Ahmed Abdulwasie al-Adiemi and Salah Aabdullah Mohammed al-Yafie. The court affirmed it has considered the period spent in detention by defendants Abdulillah Mohammed Mohammed al-Maamari Sayyid Shaiba Mahdi Nawa and Hizam Ahmed Ismael al-Rabu as sufficient punishment. The court rejected all civil suits filed by all those who filed for the civil right and the general prosecution said it would appeal the verdict.

The primary section court has begun trial of 11 defendants, 9 of whom are from the Watani Bank board and one employee at the bank involved in the case in January last year. In its first session of trial the court accused the first till the eight defendants of the breach of trust and offering facilities for themselves and others for seizing funds of the Watani Bank that had been gathered in the bank out of savings of contributors and depositors estimated at more than 19 billion riyals.

The court accused the ninth defendant with the charge of bribe and receiving one million riyals from the bank as a bribe in return for illegal taxation facilities in favour of the bank. At a later time the court accused other defendants of breaching trust and seizing funds illegally.