Democrats, White House wrap up case at Trump Senate trial
February 4, 2020, 10:11 am

Democrats, White House wrap up case at Trump Senate trial (file photo AFP )

Democratic prosecutors declaring "no one is above the law" went head to head with White House lawyers as closing arguments wrapped up at President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial, setting the stage for his likely acquittal on Wednesday.

"You can't trust this president to do the right thing," chief House prosecutor Adam Schiff said in an emotional speech on the Senate floor on Monday at the end of the two-week trial.

"Truth matters little to him," the California lawmaker told the 100 members of the Senate who will decide Trump's fate. "What's right matters even less and decency matters not at all.

"He will not change and you know it," Schiff said of the former New York real estate tycoon turned politician. "Now do impartial justice and convict him."

White House lawyers flatly rejected the arguments that Trump -- just the third president in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives -- should be removed from office by the Senate for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

"The president has done nothing wrong," White House counsel Pat Cipollone said, calling the impeachment by the Democratic-led House "purely partisan and political."

"We put our faith in the Senate," he said.

"End the era of impeachment once and for all," Cipollone said, arguing that the American people -- not the Senate -- should decide whether Trump remains in office.

Jay Sekulow, another of Trump's lawyers, said the House impeachment was "reckless" and urged the Senate to acquit.

"The bottom line is that the president's opponents don't like the president and they don't like his policies," Sekulow said.

- 'Cheat' -

The Senate is to vote at 4:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Wednesday and the Republican president is all but certain of being acquitted.

Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate to 47 for the Democrats, but a two-thirds majority, or 67 senators, is needed to remove a president from office.

Trump is scheduled to deliver his nationally televised "State of the Union" speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday and has voiced no plans to delay until after the Senate vote.

The House of Representatives impeached Trump on December 18 for withholding $391 million in military aid to Ukraine to demand that Kiev open an investigation into his potential November election rival, Democrat Joe Biden.

Schiff urged senators to find "courage to stand up" to the president.

"When the president tries to coerce an ally to try to help him cheat in our elections and covers it up we must say enough," he said. "He has compromised our elections and he will do so again."

Colorado lawmaker Jason Crow, another House prosecutor, said impeachment was an "extraordinary remedy."

"It is in the Constitution for a reason," he said. "In America, nobody is above the law, even those elected president of the United States."

Crow told the senators their votes would echo through history.

"What you decide on these articles will have lasting implications for the future of the presidency, not only for this president, but for all future presidents," he said.

- Iowa caucuses -

With the focus shifting to the final vote, all eyes will be on whether any Democrats facing potential tough re-election battles in November will vote to acquit the president.

Democratic Senator Doug Jones, for example, is facing what is shaping up to be a tough re-election fight in Alabama, a state which voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016.

West Virginia's Joe Manchin, a Democratic senator in a heavily Republican state, said he was "struggling" with how to vote on impeachment but he believed there would be bipartisan support for a censure motion of the president if one was offered.

Final arguments in the trial came as voters held caucuses in Iowa to begin the process of choosing a Democratic candidate to face Trump in November.

Former vice president Biden is among the front-runners in Iowa along with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, whose campaigning in the Midwestern state has been hamstrung by the requirement that they remain in Washington for the impeachment trial.

As the Democratic prosecutors addressed the somber Senate chamber, Trump lashed out on Twitter. "I hope Republicans & the American people realize that the totally partisan Impeachment Hoax is exactly that, a Hoax," he said.

Final arguments were held on Monday after Democrats failed last week in a bid to introduce new witnesses and documents into the trial.

Only two Republicans -- Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine -- joined Democrats as the motion to introduce witnesses was defeated 51-49.

Democrats had been eager to hear from Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton and other key administration figures caught up in the scandal.

Bolton reportedly says in an upcoming book that Trump told him military aid to Ukraine was tied to Kiev's investigating Biden -- corroborating the central accusation against the president.

SOURCE :AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.