Money-launderers hit abyss

Kuwait's State Security and Terrorism Crimes Court has delivered verdicts in three significant cases, targeting money laundering and state security offenses. The court handed down prison sentences, fines, deportation orders, and business closure mandates.

In a major money laundering case, 12 Egyptian defendants and six companies were convicted of operating a network that laundered KD 22.294 million. They utilized a fraudulent alternative money transfer system, complete with forged accounts, deposit slips, and invoices. The court imposed ten-year prison sentences with hard labor and substantial fines on most of the convicted individuals and companies. The twelfth defendant received a five-year sentence and a fine. All convicted individuals face a ban on commercial activities and deportation after serving their time.

The court also ruled on state security crimes. An expatriate was sentenced to five years in prison and fined for joining the ISIS terrorist organization. In separate cases, a Kuwaiti citizen received a five-year sentence for insulting the Amir and violating the National Unity Law. The court also acquitted a Kuwaiti man and woman of spreading false news, placing them on bail. Another case involved a citizen sentenced to five years for insulting the Amir, with two other citizens placed on bail and a drone confiscated.