Page 248 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

236 Records of Bahrain
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make thiu a oontro for tho wholo Gulf and hava a muoh wider
ooopo open to thorn* Mr* Belgrave Inquired whether they
would not bo wioor to take tho monoy while they aould got
it. I pointed out that tho Stuto did not rcqulro tho
money and that tho t lmo to prevent Ran Tanura developing
was now ao once trado llnko wore forged thoy wore vory .
pore i e ton t. It wao agreed that tho poo it ion would bo
invoatigatod.
6* JUDICIAL,
I inquired from Mr* Belgrnvo what progrooo he
wub making in aodifying tho rogulationB and publishing
tho roof, a tuck I suggested ohould bo undertaken 16 years
ago when I wan Politioal Agent, Bahrain. Ho replied that
the work wao proooeding but that its oonoluoion wan problem­
atic. He ie considering tho appointment of Shaikh 3alman
bin Hamad bin lea to dovll for him, a duty which will give
him an opportunity to discover how much legal knowledge
thiB young Shaikh hao acquired in Palcatine. Mr. Bolgrave
oonfirmod that there wao no compilation of Stuto lawo and
rules in cxintcnco, nnd that tho Sudan Penal Code, though
relied on, had not boon formally introduced. Apparently
Hia Highneao did not care about having tVie oourtu bound by
set rules for punishments. The Sudan Civil Codo ie not
apparently in foroe.
7. POUCH?.
I begun by Buying that tho police in Bahrain
were ooatly and inefficient and drew attontlon to some'
highly ufliBcreditable instnncoo that had occurred ’ reoontly
namely the theft of ammunition from Jidda Island where it
transpired that nearly half a million rounds had not boon
properly handed over and wero in churfjo of a Lanoc-Naik.
Mr. Belgrave could give no adequate explanation of this, or
indeed of tho fuel thut an important prisoner in this cuao
had beon allowod to eocapo by tho police arid I ututod frankly
that I thought tho wholo matter was highly discreditable
and reflected seriously upon him. I inquired the functions
of tho new British Police offioers. Tho no are apparently
making themselves useful and it is intondod that they
should prosecute caoeo in court in which Europeans and
Americans are conocrnod. They aro mounted on motor bioyoles.
Mr. Belgrave said that they wore popular with His Highness,
which io very fortunate. 1 inquired tho suitability of
having an Iruqi officer in tho Polioe and Mr. Bolgruvo
roplied that he was an oxcellent man and most useful* 1
expresood surprise that in 16 years it had not boen found
possible to train up a teu/n of highly reliable local men.
I inquired Mr. Belgrave* o plana for tho future and under­
stood that ho io roviewlng tho whole matter of the police
force and will lot us have hlo conclusions shortly.
Q. FINANCE.
I observed thut Mr. Belgruve wuc approuohing tho
end of his term in Bahrain, and that it was esoential
that there should be someone who ohould be fully oquippod
to _ tuke over from him. I inquired whether he did not
consider there was a caoo for reverting to tho old position
whereby there were three executive offioers in tho State
und having an Assistant Adviser now, Mr. Belgrave con­
sidered that there was a goad oaoe for ouoh an appointment.
I inquired about the auditing of the State accounts.
This io still oonductod by a firm domiciled in Basra who
huvo enough work in tho Island to keop their personnel
hero for some five months in tho year. They aro ublo to
/ audit, ..