KUWAIT CITY, May 27: The Criminal Section in the Court of First Instance acquitted an expatriate woman of forging official documents and embezzlement of public funds (social allowances) that occurred 16 years ago. The woman and her former husband were accused of forging official documents with the intention of fraudulently presenting them as genuine. They allegedly concealed their true marital status, provided false information to officials, and signed declarations affirming the accuracy of this false information.

The Public Prosecution contended that they took advantage of the trust of employees responsible for processing such transactions by dictating fabricated details. They presented a divorce certificate and an official notification certificate, misleading officials into believing the ex-husband still had legal standing; thereby, enabling them to obtain social assistance using the altered documents.

Furthermore, the prosecution argued that the defendants used official documents that were no longer legally valid; specifically, the divorce contract and the official notification certificate. The woman allegedly submitted these expired documents to misrepresent her marital status, as their validity lapsed due to her remarriage and her failure to disclose this to continue receiving benefits from the Ministry of Social Affairs. The ex-husband purportedly knowingly participated, intending to give the false impression that the documents were still legally in force. Attorney Enaam Haider, lawyer for the defendant, argued that the essential elements of forgery and the use of legally invalid documents were not present. She asserted that the investigations were superficial, inconsistent and without merit and that the documents lacked definitive proof of any crime.

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

KUWAIT CITY, May 27:  The Criminal Investigation Department has launched a manhunt for a man and a woman accused of stealing KD 800 from an ATM after an expatriate mistakenly believed the machine had malfunctioned.

According to a security source, the incident occurred at a shopping mall in Hawally, where the victim attempted to withdraw KD 800. Although the transaction was confirmed and the amount was deducted from his account, the money was not dispensed at the time, leading the expatriate to assume the ATM was out of order.

The expatriate later contacted the bank, which confirmed the transaction had been completed. Suspicious, he returned to the mall and reported the matter to management. Upon reviewing CCTV footage, he observed a man and a woman collecting the cash from the ATM. The man was seen taking the money and handing it to the woman before inserting his own bank card to make another withdrawal.

The case has been officially registered as theft at the Hawally Square Police Station. Investigators are now working with the bank to identify the suspects through ATM transaction records and surveillance footage.

KUWAIT CITY, May 27: In a chilling courtroom plea, the Public Prosecution has demanded the maximum penalty for a man accused of brutally murdering a Kuwaiti citizen in his fifties inside his own home in Jabriya late last year.

During the Criminal Court session, Director of Jahra Prosecution, Fahad Nayef Al-Mutairi, delivered a powerful argument, describing the crime as calculated and merciless. “This was no ordinary act,” Al-Mutairi told the court. “The killer planned, pursued, and executed the victim inside the sanctity of his own home, in full view of his helpless mother. This is a crime that admits no excuse, and demands no mercy.”

Al-Mutairi further emphasized the broader societal impact of the crime, calling it “a message of terror” that shattered the sense of safety even within one’s own home. He urged the court to ensure justice through the harshest sentence possible, saying, “Justice is a sacred duty, and retribution is the only way to bring peace to the victim’s family and deter future violence.”

According to case details, the defendant, reportedly a traveler, entered the victim’s residence, initiated a confrontation, and fatally shot the man with three bullets. The victim died in his mother’s arms, adding to the emotional gravity of the case.

The trial continues as the court deliberates on the prosecution’s demand for the maximum sentence