Kuwait Court Jails Coop-Society Officials, Egyptian and Lebanese Nationals in KD 314,000 Bribery Case

Kuwait's Criminal Court has delivered verdicts in a bribery case involving officials from a cooperative society and representatives of vegetable and fruit companies. The court sentenced several defendants to prison terms for their roles in illicit dealings.

The court, presided over by Counselor Muhammad Al-Sani’, handed down five-year prison sentences to the cooperative society's president, treasurer, a board member, and an Egyptian national involved in the scheme. Additionally, two Lebanese defendants were each sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay fines of KD 10,000.

The bribery allegations centered on the demand and receipt of a 10 percent commission from vegetable and fruit sales. This commission was allegedly paid in exchange for facilitating business transactions for the companies involved. However, the court acquitted the defendants of charges related to money laundering, specifically concerning an amount of KD 314,000. Other individuals implicated in the case were also cleared of all charges.

The verdict comes after an investigation conducted by the Investigations Department. The probe led to the arrest of the individuals implicated in the bribery scheme, who were subsequently referred to the judicial authorities for prosecution.