Kuwait’s Cassation Court has sentenced former Minister Mubarak Al – Aro, the former head of the Federation of Associations Abdulaziz Asad, ex – Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs Abdulaziz Shuaib, and a Gulf merchant to seven years in prison, Asharq Al – Awsat reports on June 7th. This case involves the misuse of a tender for artificial intelligence in cooperative societies’ goods.

Last November, the Court of Ministers found Al – Aro, Asad, Shuaib, and a company owner guilty. They received seven-year sentences with hard labor and were dismissed from their positions. The court ruled that they had benefited from a contract linked to the case.

On May 2nd, the Court of Cassation rejected Al – Aro’s appeal and request for release. The court ordered his arrest and that of former MP Mubarak Zaid Al-Aro Al-Mutairi upon their return to Kuwait. Earlier, on April 28, the Kuwaiti Court of Appeals overturned a two-year prison sentence against Al-Aro and his brother for vote-buying in the 2022 parliamentary elections. The lower court had initially sentenced Al-Aro to two years in prison and two campaign workers to one year each. Two other defendants were fined 2,000 dinars each.

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In another case, the Criminal Court ordered the arrest and detention of former MP Hamad Al-Alayan on state security charges. Basically, for criticizing the Emir’s authority. Al-Alayan appeared in court and denied the charges. Additionally, former MP Abdullah Fahad was sentenced to six months in prison for insulting the judiciary during his interview on TV. The organizer of scandalous interview was fined 500 dinars (around $1,600).

Kuwait’s Court of Cassation has also postponed the verdict in the nation’s largest money-laundering case, the “Malaysian Fund,” to June 27. The Public Prosecution reopened the case after a two-year delay due to waiting for international information. On March 28, 2023, the Criminal Court sentenced a member of the ruling family and his partners, including two expatriates, to 10 years in prison. A lawyer involved in the case received a seven-year sentence. The court ordered them to return $1 billion and fined them a total of 145 million Kuwaiti dinars (approximately $500 million).

Asharq Al – Awsat and agencies