Five Sri Lankan expats have been sent to jail for duration of one year each for committing burglary and theft. The five expats were found guilty of stealing jewellery worth QR2.2 million and some cash from the house of a Qatari national.
The five had reportedly broke into the house of the Qatari national, damaged his safe and stole the jewellery they found in the safe. According to the case file, the five expats had confessed to their crime during the police investigations.
A Criminal Court in Doha found the expats guilty of trespassing and robbery. The court ordered that the expats be deported from the country once they have served their sentences.
They confessed to breaking into the house at night, in the owner’s absence, and stealing jewellery and cash from the safe.
It is worth mentioning that according to Qatar Penal Code’s Article 343:
Whoever steals, embezzles, or purloins in any one of the following cases, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years:
1. at a place intended for worship;
2. at residential premises, or at premises intended for residential purposes or annexes thereof;
3. on board any conveyance, at a terminal, seaport or airport;
4. by trespass, break-in, or with the use of original or duplicate keys against the will of their owner;
5. by a person who has assumed a false identity or alleged that he is undertaking or assigned to a public service.
6. by two persons or more.
7. By transportation workers when, in the line of their duty, delivering the things being transported.
8. against injured persons during wartime even if they are enemies.
