A verdict is due next month in the trial of five people accused of an alleged BD1.6 million ($4.2 million) fraud in Bahrain.

The defendants include a Bahraini, his son and Australian daughter-in-law, along with two other Australian women, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

They have been charged with fraud and theft for allegedly conning six Australians into signing a fake business deal.

The alleged victims are said to have handed over 4.9 million Australian dollars (BD1.65 million) after the daughter-in-law pledged to hand the cash back with interest within three months on January 4, 2005.

However, the group of investors claim they are still trying to recover their money.

The farmers say they borrowed money from a bank to be part of the deal and claim they could be entitled to eight million Australian dollars (BD2.8 million) in compensation.

That is a result of interest generated on loans they took out, as well as compensation for allegedly losing their farms as a result of the investment.

The farmers filed criminal proceedings after taking legal advice in August 2009 and plan to pursue a civil case for compensation if they secure convictions.

The daughter-in-law is said to have given each of her victims companies in Sitra as security on the investment, according to case files.

However, the companies allegedly turned out to be bogus.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges in the Lower Criminal Court, which has adjourned the case until June 12 for lawyers to submit their final arguments.

"The defendants are accused of theft and fraud after they conned their victims from Australia into handing over 4.9 million Australian dollars," prosecutors claim in court documents.

"They said it was in return for investment and shares in a company and that their victims would get their money back within three months with additional interest.

"She (the daughter-in-law) then gave them forged documents to motivate them into handing her the money.

"She also handed her victims companies in North Sitra as an assurance, but the address and location given to her victims did not contain the companies she promised them and they later found out it was a scam." - TradeArabia News Service