Inmate Used Prison Phone in Scam; Court Holds Interior Ministry Official Liable, Orders KD30,000 Compensation

29/04/2026

KUWAIT CITY, April 29: The Court of Appeals upheld the ruling issued by the Court of First Instance’s Commercial Civil Circuit, Government 17, which obligated an individual and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, in his official capacity, to jointly pay compensation of KD 30,000 to a Kuwaiti woman for material and moral damages she suffered as a result of fraud committed while the defendant was incarcerated.

During the court session, Lawyer Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan, representing the Kuwaiti woman, presented detailed legal arguments along with comprehensive documentation, including criminal judgments, prosecution investigations, and official certificates from relevant authorities confirming the defendant’s liability. He said the defendant had defrauded his client of KD 25,000 by falsely claiming he could allocate her a state-owned plot, despite being in prison at the time of the crime. The court explained that the defendant’s commission of the crime from within his cell demonstrated a clear deficiency in oversight procedures within the correctional facility.

The defendant’s ability to obtain a mobile phone and use it to commit the crime constituted a clear violation of prison regulations and revealed negligence in the performance of supervisory duties, thereby establishing the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior. The court ruled that the defendant and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, in his official capacity, must jointly pay the awarded compensation.