The Bahraini Public Prosecution is investigating the involvement of two Bahraini nationals in raising and receiving money from Abdullah bin Khalid al-Thani, a former minister in the Qatari government who was accused of financing and supporting Al Qaeda, to influence the elections and compromise Bahrain’s national interests.

Bahrain News Agency reported the two suspects had been paid money into their bank accounts by the former Qatari minister and made visits to Qatar to receive cash payments.

The two suspects were arrested at Bahrain International Airport upon their return from Qatar with more than BD 12,000 and 500 Qatari Riyals in their possession without claiming them at the Customs Department.

The report added that the probe into how the suspects received the money and the motive behind financing such an electoral campaign had “revealed that the aim was to undermine the national interests by interfering in the internal affairs of the kingdom and influencing the work of the legislative institutions to serve the Qatari antagonistic goals”.

A judicial permission was issued to control and record telephone calls between the suspects which confirmed the investigations.