KUWAIT CITY, Nov 24: The Court of Cassation on Monday overturned the acquittal of a Ministry of Interior employee and sentenced him to five years in prison, imposed a fine of 312,000 dinars, and ordered his dismissal from service for receiving salaries during a prolonged absence from work.

The employee, who worked at the Citizen Service Center, was found guilty of unlawfully receiving 104,010.425 dinars in salaries over a ten-year period from March 9, 2013, to July 31, 2023, despite being absent from duty, the Public Prosecution said.

The charges stated that the employee, in his capacity as a public servant, seized the funds through trickery, collecting salaries to which he was not entitled. The Cassation court’s ruling reversed the earlier acquittal handed down in lower courts.

The prosecution’s investigation detailed the fraudulent receipt of payments during the period of absence, emphasizing the breach of public trust and misappropriation of state funds.