A religious leader and his wife are currently awaiting a verdict in a case involving unlicensed fundraising. The religious leader is accused of collecting funds without the necessary permits, while his wife is facing charges of failing to declare a significant sum of money and aiding and abetting her husband in the fundraising activity. The charges stem from an incident where the wife was apprehended at the King Fahd Causeway carrying over BD20,000. The prosecution alleges that the religious leader solicited funds without authorization, and his wife is accused of failing to declare 200,000 Saudi Riyals and $2,600 found in her possession.
During the court hearing, the couple’s lawyer pleaded for their acquittal, requesting leniency for the wife and the lifting of a travel ban imposed on the religious leader. The incident took place on June 22nd when the wife was stopped at the King Fahd Causeway. Customs officials asked if she had anything to declare, to which she answered in the negative. A subsequent search by female police officers revealed the undeclared funds, following which the wife voluntarily handed over the money. The lawyer argued that the religious leader operates a religious channel where a Gulf national contacted him, expressing admiration and offering financial support, which was delivered to the wife due to her employment in the Gulf state.
The lawyer provided the authorities with the contact information of the individual who provided the funds, emphasizing that the wife is a school teacher earning over BD1,500 with multiple business ventures generating a substantial income. He maintained that his clients did not solicit funds from individuals and that the case is now awaiting the court’s decision. The couple’s lawyer defended their innocence, stating that the funds were received as financial support rather than solicitation, and the wife’s failure to declare the money was an honest mistake during the customs check at the causeway.
The religious leader and his wife are facing charges in a case involving unlicensed fundraising, with the prosecution alleging that the couple solicited funds without proper authorization. The wife was found carrying a significant sum of money at the King Fahd Causeway, leading to her arrest and subsequent investigation. The lawyer argued that the funds were received as financial support from a Gulf national admirer and that the wife’s failure to declare the money was unintentional. The couple’s lawyer provided authorities with contact information for the individual who provided the funds, highlighting the wife’s profession as a school teacher and businesswoman to illustrate her legitimate sources of income.
As the court awaits the decision on their case, the couple’s lawyer continues to plead for their acquittal, stressing that they did not solicit funds and that the funds were received as support from a benefactor. The religious leader operates a religious channel and was contacted by a Gulf national admirer who offered financial support, leading to the delivery of funds to the wife. The lawyer emphasized the wife’s innocent mistake in not declaring the money during the customs check and provided evidence of her legitimate income sources to support their innocence. The case remains pending as the court deliberates on the verdict for the religious leader and his wife in the unlicensed fundraising case.
