Court rejects 5 appeals in ‘Fintas Group’ case
Travel ban on citizen lifted
By Jaber Al-Hamoud
KUWAIT CITY, April 17: The Court of Cassation presided over by Justice Abdullah Al-Jassem rejected five appeals to suspend the enforcement of sentences issued by the Court of Appeals concerning the jailing of members of the infamous “Fintas Group” until the final verdict of the case is issued.
The five appeals were for AbdulMohsin Al-Ateeqi, Falah Al-Hajraf, Sheikh Ali Al-Khalifa, Sheikh Ahmad Dawood Al-Sabah and Sheikh Athbi Al-Sabah who were sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labor.
The Court of Cassation last month set April 24 for trial regarding the case filed against the group, and appeal could only be accepted once the imprisonment decision is enforced.
Fintas Group was discovered after security forces arrested a demonstrator at ‘Erada Square’ and found in his possession slanderous and false information and provocations against the security forces on his mobile phone.
Some 13 people, including lawyers, media figures and others are accused in the case.
Earlier, it was reported that the ‘suspects’ were charged for undermining public order, abusing the authority of HH the Amir, inciting others to create panic, spreading rumors, interfering in the work of the judiciary, and humiliating judges.
Travel ban lifted: The Court of Appeals cancelled the verdict of the First Instance Court and lifted the travel ban imposed on a citizen five years ago.
The lawsuit was filed by Attorney Fahd Al-Saeed – the citizen’s lawyer. The lawyer said his client took KD 37,000 bank loan and he was not informed about the travel ban on time as per the law pointing out that he has been unable to pay the bank while he did nothing to raise suspicion that he will flee or dodge payment of the loan.
However, the First Instance Court imposed the travel ban so Al-Saeed appealed the decision arguing there is no evidence that his client intends to flee. He said his client did not receive notification about the travel ban within two weeks upon the date of issuing the decision as stipulated by the law.