2 Ex-Members, Egyptian and Indian, imprisoned in Kuwait cooperative societies bribery case

KUWAIT CITY, May 20: The Criminal Court issued prison sentences for several defendants in a bribery case involving employees at the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies (UCCS). The court sentenced four defendants - two former members of UCCS, an Egyptian expat and an Indian expat - to 10 years in prison.

Eleven other defendants, including company employees, received four-year prison sentences, while four defendants were acquitted. The defendants were arrested by detectives in a carefully planned sting operation based on security investigations indicating that they had received bribes totaling approximately KD 12,000 in exchange for facilitating and promoting goods through cooperative societies on behalf of certain companies. The Public Prosecution charged the defendants, who included public employees and company representatives, with harming their employers’ interests, dereliction of duty, and collusion in processing transactions and contracts in violation of regulations. The charges also included abuse of office, negligence in oversight and supervision, and involvement in illicit financial gains and damage to public funds, including bribery and money laundering.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies