KUWAIT CITY, Oct 28: The Criminal Court, presided over by Counselor Nasser Al-Badr, has sentenced two Gulf nationals to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of one million Kuwaiti dinars after finding them guilty of forging Kuwaiti citizenship and unlawfully obtaining state benefits by falsely claiming to be related to a deceased Kuwaiti citizen.

According to the case files, the Public Prosecution charged the defendants—both of whom were employed at the time of the crimes—with illegally seizing public funds from several state institutions, including the Kuwait Credit Bank, the Public Authority for Manpower, and the Public Institution for Housing Welfare. By posing as Kuwaiti citizens, they were able to receive financial benefits and privileges reserved exclusively for Kuwaiti nationals.

Investigations revealed that the crime was closely tied to the felony of forgery in official documents, as the defendants had submitted falsified documents containing fabricated personal data to employees of state-affiliated agencies. Relying on these forged records, government entities were deceived into disbursing financial amounts directly into the defendants’ bank accounts.

The court found that the two defendants—acting with the help of an accomplice—had deliberately forged civil identification cards, nationality certificates, and passports belonging to a deceased Kuwaiti citizen. The forged documents were created with meticulous detail to make them appear authentic, exploiting the good faith of government employees who unknowingly entered the false data into official databases.

By altering these official records, the forged documents became valid for use, allowing the defendants to successfully impersonate Kuwaiti citizens and enjoy housing, employment, and social benefits to which they were not legally entitled.

The court’s verdict emphasized the gravity of the crime, describing it as an assault on the integrity of the state’s administrative and financial systems. Both defendants will serve seven years in prison, pay a fine of one million Kuwaiti dinars, and face the confiscation of any assets derived from the fraudulent activities.