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Man Freed After 10-Year Wrongful Conviction in Kuwait Theft Case

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KUWAIT CITY, April 23: In what legal experts are calling an unusual court case, a defendant appeared before the Court of Cassation to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence, only for his lawyers to reveal that he was not the intended subject of the conviction. Attorneys Hawra Al-Habib and Abdul Hamid Mirza, representing the accused in a theft case, presented a compelling argument before the court, asserting that their client had been mistakenly identified and wrongfully convicted due to a procedural error.

The defendant, who repeatedly maintained his innocence, was convicted in absentia by the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeals without ever being present or properly notified. According to his legal team, the man was neither seeking to appeal his sentence nor explain his actions, because he did not commit any crime. Instead, the defense requested that the court acknowledge that their client had no connection to the case at all, and that the real suspect was already incarcerated.

In a dramatic courtroom moment, the court ordered the defendant to be temporarily detained while it verified the claims. Upon investigation, it was discovered that a clerical error resulted in the wrong civil identification number being associated with the case. The prosecution confirmed the mix-up, and the court promptly ordered the defendant’s release, restoring his freedom after confirming his innocence.

This case mirrors another incident previously reported in which a man wrongfully served a full 10-year sentence before discovering the mistake. This highlights the critical importance of due process and accurate identification in legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Dr. Khaled Al-Omara, sentenced three Gulf nationals – a father and his two sons – to seven years ‘ imprisonment and imposed a fine of KD 2.5 million, equivalent to the salaries and benefits they received from the government after obtaining Kuwaiti citizenship through forgery. The case centers on a Gulf citizen who conspired with a Kuwaiti citizen in 1989 to add his children to the Kuwaiti’s citizenship file under false names.

The defendants submitted false information and documents to the General Department of Nationality and Passport Affairs to obtain Kuwaiti passports and civil ID cards. The investigating officer revealed that the Kuwaiti citizen implicated in the case had passed away. Investigations uncovered 12 cases of citizenship forgery registered against him. The court has ordered the Gulf nationals to repay the salaries and benefits they unlawfully received. Additionally, the Criminal Court ordered the release of a lawyer on bail of KD1 million and a businessman on bail of KD3,000 – both were banned from traveling, while an employee of the Public Authority for Industry remained in custody. The Public Prosecution ordered the detention of the defendants on charges of bribery, forgery of official documents, profiting from industrial plots worth KD120 million, and money laundering worth KD 26 million.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times

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Wallet, KD 85, and Docs Stolen After Car Break-In

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KUWAIT CITY, July 18: Forensic experts have cleared all possible evidence left behind by unidentified thieves who broke into a Korean vehicle in Jahra. Following the incident, the Public Prosecutor’s Office classified the case as a felony and instructed Jahra detectives to initiate necessary procedures to apprehend the suspect.

The incident came to light after a citizen, born in 1991, filed a complaint at Jahra Police Station. He reported that an unknown individual had smashed the rear window of his vehicle while it was parked in a shopping mall lot. The thief then stole a wallet containing KD 85, various official documents, and the car’s registration book.

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Kuwaiti Man Dead Drunk, Insults Cops, Resists Arrest

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KUWAIT CITY, July 18: A 40-year-old Kuwaiti citizen has been detained at the Hawally Police Station on multiple charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol and insulting a public employee while on duty. He has been referred to the forensic evidence department for testing to determine whether his impaired state was solely due to alcohol or if narcotics were also involved.

According to the incident report filed yesterday, two officers from the Hawally Police Station were on patrol when they noticed a vehicle swerving erratically, raising suspicion and concern. The officers activated their patrol lights and signaled the driver to pull over. Although the driver initially ignored the command, he eventually complied.

When one of the officers requested the driver’s identification, the suspect responded mockingly, shouting, “Come on, come on, I’ll crush your head.” He refused to exit the vehicle, and officers noted that his breath indicated he was under the influence. Upon being forcibly removed from the car, the man physically resisted, pushing both officers and striking one of them. Authorities noted that the individual exhibited violent behavior throughout the arrest.

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Kuwait Court Confirms Not Guilty Verdict In ISIS Affiliation Charges

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KUWAIT CITY, July 17: The Second Circuit of the Court of Appeals, headed by Judge Nasr Salem Al-Haid with Judges Saud Al- Sanea and Tariq Metwally as members, upheld the acquittal of three Tunisians of belonging to the terrorist organization ISIS on Wednesday.

The Public Prosecution had earlier charged the three Tunisians with joining ISIS, pledging allegiance to the leaders of the organization, and planning to bomb Shiite mosques and Husainiyats in Kuwait and kill the worshippers therein. Case files indicate that the accused were trained in making firecrackers before being arrested by the State Security officers at the Ministry of Interior. The Criminal Court acquitted the defendants, based on the prevailing legal and jurisprudential principle that punishment is not imposed for the stage of contemplating and reflecting on a crime.

This is because as long as the intention remains within the mind and has not been revealed to the outside world, it poses no harm or danger. It stated that the investigations and documents were devoid of any evidence that would prove the defendants’ participation in the organization, and that despite their knowledge of the purpose for which this organization works, that is not sufficient to establish the crime of joining a banned organization, which is the subject of the accusation. It pointed out that this crime does not occur simply by the defendants meeting and repeating the pledge of allegiance to the leaders of the organization in their homes.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies 

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