Former board members of Bahrain Medical Society (BMS) were yesterday (July 30) accused of managerial and legal violations.

Two investigations by separate organisations are underway to establish potential wrongdoing, including financial irregularities, in co-operation with the Interior Ministry.

Reports will be issued following the probes about the society and its previous activities, said BMS chairman Dr Nabeel Al Ansari.

"The previous board was removed due to its involvement in politics during the unrest," he told a Press conference at the society's headquarters in Juffair. "This was not part of its occupational role as a medical society."

Dr Al Ansari revealed the investigations' aim was to find out what was happening in the society and to "clean" it up.

"The investigation is to find out what really happened and what was being done in the society," he said. "It aims to clean the society."

Dr Al Ansari said some violations allegedly found included inaccurate bills and deceased members still registered in the society's members' list. He also claimed rental of society facilities was below what should have been paid.

"The society's gym is only for the use of members, but investigation showed it was rented," he said. "Not only that, but it was also rented for less than the average amount in Bahrain's market."

Dr Al Ansari said the initial findings did not make it clear why and what had been the aim of the alleged violations. The investigations began a week after the new board was appointed in April.

Dr Al Ansari said new elections would only be held after results of the investigations were made clear.

"The society will not hold any elections until investigations are complete and the results are clear and outlined," he stated.

Society board members reiterated their criticism of the Doctors Without Borders organisation for failing to meet the society and releasing one-sided reports about Bahrain.

It also repeated its attack on members of an Irish delegation for their failure to directly meet them following their visit to Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Dr Hind Al Fayez gave an emotional account of a confrontation she had with Associated Press correspondent Reem Khalifa, which took place during a Press conference earlier this month.

The reporter was filmed by a television cameraman appearing to strike Dr Al Fayaz as the pair scuffled.

The wife of former Al Wasat editor Dr Mansoor Al Jamri seemingly tried to grab the doctor's mobile, resulting in the confrontation.

Video footage on YouTube showed Khalifa calling her alleged victim and other doctors "spinsters looking for men" and "cheap women".

It led to chaotic scenes during the event, at the Ramada Palace Hotel, which was held by the Irish delegation seeking the release of Bahraini medics. It was forced to end early after Bahraini doctors showed up to heckle delegation members and accuse them of ignoring the criminal actions of medical staff during the unrest.

Khalifa filed a complaint against Dr Al Fayaz for violating her privacy and uploading the video of the scuffle as well as insulting her. It followed a similar complaint filed against her by her alleged victim.

Khalifa earlier claimed she had not slapped anyone and was only trying to turn off the phone cameras of people trying to film her after allegedly insulting her at the event. – TradeArabia News Service