KUWAIT CITY, Sept 25: The Second Circuit of the Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Nasser Salem Al-Haid, along with Judge Saud Al-Sanea and Judge Tariq Metwally, overturned the verdict issued by a lower court, which acquitted a citizen who was charged with insulting and defaming the Amir. The court instead sentenced him to two years ‘ imprisonment with hard labor. The court upheld the acquittal of another individual involved in the same case, after State Security officers monitored their discussions on the “X” platform. In a separate case, the same circuit upheld a life sentence for a Kuwaiti citizen and 15-year prison terms for an Iranian woman and two Egyptian nationals. The defendants were convicted of smuggling 58 kilograms of hashish by sea and had been arrested in an ambush conducted by the Drug Control General Department.
Meanwhile, a detention renewal judge on Wednesday denied the release of several members of a cooperative society and expatriates accused of money laundering and accepting bribes in exchange for approving company merchandise. The suspects were apprehended in a well-planned operation conducted by Mubarak Al-Kabeer Investigations. Investigations revealed that the defendants face charges of receiving illegal payments and facilitating the placement of merchandise on the shelves of cooperative societies in violation of official procedures. The Public Prosecution ordered their continued detention pending further investigation. Additionally, the Constitutional Court has scheduled a session for November 26 to issue its ruling on the appeal filed by Dr. Suad Al-Sabah and others, challenging the constitutionality of the Anti-Monopoly Law regarding undeveloped plots. The disputed law imposes an annual fee of KD 10 per square meter for undeveloped residential plots exceeding 1,500 square meters, regardless of whether the plots are owned by individuals or legal entities, and whether the plots are located in a single or multiple locations. This fee increases by KD 30 each year until it reaches a maximum of KD 100 per square meter.
By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
