17/11/2015
17/11/2015
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 16: The Cassation Court, headed by Judge Salem Al-Khudeir, acquitted a Bulgarian of stealing money from customers of banks by using fake credit cards which were forged through invisible devices put in ATM cards. Case files indicate the Bulgarian was part of three-member gang charged with falsifying bank papers with the aim of using them like the originals. These papers include the bank statements of customers and all their details.
According to the report, more than 3,000 ATM cards issued by 35 local and international banks were duplicated within four days only — from Feb 21 to 25. After leaving the country, the gang allegedly used the forged ATM cards in the Dominican Republic.
The Criminal Court then sentenced the three suspects, two of them in absentia, to seven years in prison with hard labor and immediate execution. Lawyer for the suspect arrested in Kuwait, Attorney Mohammad Ahmad Taleb, later filed a petition at the Court of Appeals against the ruling. The higher court amended the ruling by sentencing Taleb’s client to four years in prison with hard labor and immediate execution to be followed by deportation.
In the Cassation Court, Taleb argued there is a similarity between the picture in the passport of his client and that of the other accused taken at the airport showing the three defendants leaving the country. He found loopholes in the technical report on his client’s involvement and the arrest procedures so he demanded for acquittal of his client. The lawyer pointed out there is a big difference between the times when one of the suspects and his client left the airport, indicating his client must be acquitted due to the absence of incriminating evidence.
Paper remains shut: The Cassation Court, chaired by Judge Jamal Al- Eneizi, dismissed the lawsuit filed by Al-Watan newspaper, and upheld the decision of Commerce and Information ministries to shut down the newspaper. The court previously rejected the demand of the newspaper to stop the execution of the verdict issued by the Appeals Court to close Al-Watan and other newspapers. It can be recalled that a higher court upheld the ruling of the Court of First Instance to shut down the newspaper so the latter filed an appeal to the Cassation Court to nullify the ruling.
Ex-MP acquitted: The Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Jaafar, acquitted former MP Mubarak Al-Duweila of attacking Egypt, while it refrained from imposing a sentence on his brother—Nasser Al-Duweila and Tareq Al-Suweidan. The court obliged them to sign a pledge of good conduct for two years with bail of KD 1,000. Case files indicate the Egyptian Embassy filed a State Security lawsuit against the three defendants accusing them of attacking Egypt when they expressed objection to the military coup there.
Hearing adjourned: The Criminal Court adjourned until Dec 14 the hearing on State security case against Dr Salah Al-Fadli who has been accused of attacking the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia due to his Twitter posts regarding the Storm of Resolve Operation. The Public Prosecution had earlier released the defendant on bail of KD3,000. He was charged with participating in a hostile act against Saudi Arabia and interfering in the power of HH the Amir through his tweets on the Storm of Resolve Operation.
By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff