Jail, fine upheld for judges in bribery case

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 21: Nearly two years after it was brought to light, the Court of Cassation brought down the curtain on the case known as ‘bribery of judges’, and during its session, Thursday, headed by Counselor Saleh Al-Muraishid, upheld the ruling issued by the Court of Appeal to imprison and fine 7 judges to varying degrees and ordered their removal from their positions and seized the vehicles they had received as gifts, while one judge was acquitted.

The court also ruled to uphold the imprisonment for various periods against others, some of whom were employees, and ordered their dismissal from their jobs, and put behind bars businessmen, in addition to acquitting a number of defendants. Against the first judge, the Cassation Court upheld the verdict of the lower court and sentenced him to 7 years in prison, imposed a fine of 232,000 dinars, confiscated two vehicles, and canceled the first-degree ruling (15 years with hard work, a fine of 64,000 dinars, and acquittal of one of the charges).

Regarding the second defendant, the court upheld the appeal ruling sentencing him to 7 years in prison, a fine of 674,000 dinars, and confiscation of two vehicles, and overturned the first-degree ruling (a fine of 5,000 dinars and acquittal of the charges).

The same applies to the third accused, as the court upheld the appeal ruling against him of 7 years in prison and the cancellation of the first-degree ruling (10 years, a fine of 4,000, and dismissal from the job). Regarding the fourth defendant, it upheld the appeal ruling, imprisoning him for 7 years and a fine of 170,000 dinars, and canceling the first-degree sentence (7 years with hard work, a fine of 50,000, dismissal from the job, and acquittal of one of the charges). As for the fifth accused, the court ruled to uphold the two appeal rulings and the court of first instance (7 years with hard work, a fine of 30,000 dinars, dismissal from the job, and acquittal of two charges).

The same applies to the sixth accused, as it upheld the two prison sentences (7 years with work, a fine of 109 thousand dinars, and dismissal from the job). As for the seventh defendant, the court upheld the two appeal rulings, acquitting him of the charges against him. As for the eighth defendant, it upheld the appeal ruling, sentencing him to 7 years in prison, a fine of 55,000 dinars, confiscating a vehicle, and canceling the first-degree ruling (5 years with hard work, a fine of 27,000 dinars, dismissal from the job, and acquittal of some charges).

The Court of Cassation upheld the appeal ruling by canceling the appealed ruling against the accused and ordering the court again to abstain from pronouncing the punishment for the accusation against him, provided that he submits a pledge of financial bail of 500 dinars in which he commits to observing good behavior for a period of two years, and upheld the ruling by rejecting the Public Prosecution’s appeal of the ruling issued against the accused and upholding the appealed ruling of his acquittal. It also upheld the appeal ruling by amending the sentence and deciding to refrain from pronouncing punishment, provided that he submits a pledge of financial bail of 500 dinars in which he commits to observing good behavior for a period of two years, and to uphold the ruling in his acquittal.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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