KUWAIT CITY, July 7: The Court of Appeals upheld the verdict of the lower court and acquitted a colonel who was working as Director-General of Immigration Investigations in the Ministry of Interior. However, the court sentenced a first lieutenant and a retired military officer each for 10 years imprisonment, and ordered them to pay 72,000 in fine. They were found guilty in a case of bribery worth 80,000 dinars, ‘seizing’ KD 30,000 from a Syrian, money laundering and falsification of investigation reports. The court acquitted two others of the charge of possessing drugs.

The Syrian was arrested on charges of running a fictitious company and was involved in ‘bulk employment’ (visa trafficking) but was able to escape law after striking a compromise with the officer and his civil partner (retired officer) after paying them 10,000 dinars. The sources said the issue of bribe did not end and the duo continued to harass and blackmail the Syrian and asked for more money and the Syrian ended up paying 30,000 dinars. When the duo continued to blackmail the Syrian he was tired and finally decided to report the incident to the authorities (the Criminal Investigation Department) following which a trap was set for the First Lieutenant and caught him in the act while receiving money from the Syrian. By Jaber Al-Humoud Al-Seyassah Staff