23/04/2026
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23/04/2026
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KUWAIT CITY, April 23: The Criminal Court acquitted 11 defendants of charges of money laundering, forgery of bank documents, and misappropriation of funds using advanced information technology. The Public Prosecution had charged the 11 individuals with joining an organized criminal gang operating outside Kuwait, exploiting their bank accounts to receive and transfer funds obtained through fraud, with the intent of concealing their source, as well as committing forgery in bank statements and electronic withdrawal transactions.
The victim stated that she was defrauded after receiving a phone call from an unknown person who claimed he could recover money she had previously lost. The suspect instructed her to download an application that granted access to her banking information, resulting in the withdrawal of KD 18,800 from her bank account without her knowledge.
The court based its ruling on insufficient evidence and a lack of confidence in the investigations, in addition to the absence of conclusive proof that the defendants were aware of the illicit source of the funds or possessed criminal intent. Lawyer Israa Al-Haddad, representing one of the defendants, stated that the elements of the crime were not established and that there was no evidence of her client’s involvement in or knowledge of the incident. She maintained that the mere transfer of funds through bank accounts is insufficient to convict an account holder without proving criminal intent
By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
