Renowned singer Ali Bahar mourned

Email: [email protected]
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Gulf Daily News
Monday, 4th July 2011
Renowned singer Ali Bahar mourned
n Mr Bahar ... to be
buried today
RENOWNED Bahraini singer Ali
Bahar died yesterday after an illness.
He was pronounced dead at
Salmaniya Medical Complex at 11am,
three days after being admitted to the
hospital suffering from shortness of
breath.
“Pneumonia started to spread and
he had to be put on artificial breathing machines,” his brother Ebrahim
Khamis Bahar told the GDN.
“His health deteriorated later that
night until he had kidney failure early
Sunday morning.”
Men paid their condolences at the
Abu Thar Al Ghafari Hall in Isa Town
and women at his brother Ebrahim’s
home in A’ali.
The singer will be buried at the
Muharraq Cemetery at 8am today.
“Bahar left two children behind,
Mohammed, 15 and Yousif, aged six,”
said Ebrahim.
By FARAH AL KUBAISY
Born and raised in Muharraq, Mr
Bahar started playing music at the age
of 12 and later spent several years in
Sharjah.
He returned home to record a
number of albums that proved popular
among fans in the Gulf and across the
Arab world.
Known for his strong and unique
vocals, esteemed music and humble
personality, Mr Bahar continued to
sing and perform in national concerts
and international music festivals.
He was the lead singer, guitar and
organ player in the Bahrain band
Al Ekhwa (The Brothers), which he
formed in 1986.
It became one of the most successful bands in the Arab world and its
albums were among the highest selling
made in Bahrain.
Unrest cases may
be reinvestigated
ONGOING criminal cases
related to Bahrain’s unrest
could be reinvestigated, it
has emerged.
Sources told the GDN over
the weekend that all cases
still underway in the National
Safety Court would be transferred to civilian courts, based
on a Royal order issued by
His Majesty King Hamad on
Wednesday.
A top official said yesterday
that civilian judges receiving
cases in which verdicts had not
yet been issued could order a
reinvestigation by the Public
Prosecution service.
Alternatively,
Justice,
Islamic
Affairs
and
Endowments Ministry UnderSecretary Salim Al Kowari said
witnesses who had already testified in National Safety Court
hearings could be summoned
again for cross-examination in
civilian proceedings.
By BASMA MOHAMMED
of the main guarantees for
defendants,” explained Mr Al
Kowari.
“The move comes from a
Royal wish to ensure more
guarantees for defendants in
civilian courts.”
However, as of yesterday no
cases had been officially forwarded to civilian courts.
“The Supreme Judicial
Council will be the body in
charge of paving the way for
cases to be handled by the right
court, once cases are transferred,” said Mr Al Kowari.
The National Safety Court is
not a military court, but hearings are presided over by a
military judge and two civilian
judges, while cases are pursued
by military prosecutors.
Mr Al Kowari said this was
the first time that cases had
been handled by a National
Safety Court in Bahrain.
He added that defendants
would be informed of their next
court appearance in the civilian
court ahead of schedule.
“As the law states, every
defendant should be informed
of their court date,” he said.
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Journalists to
learn their
fate in October
A VERDICT in a case involving
four journalists accused of publishing false news reports about
Bahrain’s unrest will be issued
in October.
Their lawyers submitted
final defence papers to the
High Criminal Court, claiming
their clients were innocent and
should be acquitted.
Witnesses had during the last
hearing claimed the journalists
were not going to office at the
time of the offence.
They earlier told judges
that following an attack on the
paper’s Press department in
March reporters were asked to
send in stories from home.
Employees were only working until 2pm and the paper’s
headquarters was left to the
watchful eyes of the security
guard, according to one of the
witnesses.
The journalists alleged the
secretary of the editor-in-chief
Ali Al Sherify was the only
other person in the office to
check news stories.
Al Wasat was briefly suspended after being accused of
falsifying six news articles, but
began publishing again after
its editor-in-chief Mansoor Al
Jamri and two other men on
trial – British managing editor
Walid Noueihed and Bahraini
head of local news Aqeel Mirza
– were replaced in April.
The journalists have denied
fabricating news with the intent
of causing instability.
They face a fine or up to two
years in prison, if convicted.
Mr Al Jamri earlier acknowledged six false articles appeared
in Al Wasat, but said they were
e-mailed to the newspaper from
the same IP address as part of
an apparent campaign to plant
disinformation.
He previously presented
three pieces of evidence to show
the paper was in contact with
His Majesty King Hamad and
other top officials, in addition to
letters to the Interior Ministry
asking for help after its offices
were attacked in March.
The case was adjourned to
October 11.
n Drugs two
behind bars
TWO Bahrainis were yesterday
jailed for a year and fined
BD5,000 each for using drugs.
The High Criminal Court
acquitted the men of drug
dealing for lack of evidence.
Police received information that
the men, aged 31 and 25, were
dealing in heroin. They were
arrested after selling heroin for
BD20 to an undercover agent
on February, according to court
documents.
Witnesses
“As per the law, judges have
the right to order a new investigation into cases of National
Safety Courts,” he told journalists yesterday.
“The decision will be entirely up to the civilian courts after
cases are transferred.”
However, he stressed that did
not apply to cases in which verdicts had already been issued.
He added the order by the
King reflected his desire to
ensure a fair judicial process.
“Civilian courts open the
floor for the Cassation Court
(the highest court in Bahrain
with power to overrule appeal
court verdicts), and that is one
7
n Jailed for assault
n The Bahrain Air delegation with Turkish officials on arrival in Istanbul
Bahrain Air launches Istanbul flights
BAHRAIN Air has started its direct flights
to Istanbul, Turkey, it emerged yesterday.
The inaugural flight left Bahrain on
Friday with Bahrain Air managing director Ibrahim Al Hamer and commercial
operations director Richard Nuttall, among
others.
It was received at Istanbul’s Sabiha
Gokcen International Airport by airport
chief commercial officer Server Aydin and
chief executive officer Gokhan Bugday.
Mr Al Hamer said the route would
provide a boost to tourism in Bahrain and
Turkey as well as support the growing
commercial ties between the countries.
“We anticipate this route will enhance
the existing passenger and cargo load
capacity between the two countries and
boost bilateral trade,” he said.
Bahrain Air operates a two-class
Airbus A320 to Istanbul, configured to
carry 156 passengers with 12 seats in
the Business Premium class and 144 in
economy class.
A MAN was yesterday
jailed for a year for sexually
assaulting a Bahraini woman.
The man was convicted by
the High Criminal Court
of rubbing his body against
the woman in a mall’s lift in
November last year. He was
also found guilty of hitting
the victim’s sister with his
motorbike helmet after she
shouted at him. The man also
verbally abused the two women
along with their friend. He
confessed during investigations
that he liked the victim and
decided to follow her as she
entered the lift with her sister
and friend, according to court
documents.