Doha

A Doha Misdemeanour Court has been reviewing a case of a cleaning worker accused of stealing a government owned SIM card and making calls worth around QR90,000.

Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday that the government entity that owned the SIM card had discovered the theft of the SIM after the bills of the line amounted to QR 90,000 within four months of the disappearance of the SIM. The bills used to be QR1,000, then it started to jump to QR15,000 and eventually QR20,000 a month.

The employee in charge of paying the phone bills found that such exaggerated amounts need explanation so he asked the person who used to have the SIM, who admitted that he lost it long ago and no longer use it. He also confirmed that he knew nothing about such exaggerated due sums. Accordingly, the communication company was contacted to stop the use of the SIM and inquire about the person who had used it throughout the past four months.

Eventually, it turned out that this person was a cleaning worker that works at the company and employed by a contractor cleaning company. The worker admitted that he found the SIM on the ground and initially thought that it was discarded but he kept it. When he tried later to use it on a phone set, it was working and he used it to make many international phone calls and lent to his friends to make similar calls.

The lawyer of the accused argued that his client did not steal the SIM but just found it and the government entity should have report it missing as soon as it was lost to hinder any misuse. The case is still being heard at the court.