Dec 10 hearing set in minister’s funds scam

Man’s Kuwaiti nationality restored

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: The Ministerial Court has set Dec 10 for the presentation of the case on misappropriation of public funds involving former Health minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi and seven other defendants.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendants with squandering public funds after Al-Obaidi abused his authority and signed a contract with a foreign company without obtaining approval of auditing bodies. The contract was between the ministry and an American company in charge of supervising the accounts of Kuwaiti patients undergoing treatment in the USA. The financial damage incurred is estimated at US$ 7 million.

On the other hand, the Criminal Court decided to adjourn until December 22 the case of embezzlement of funds of the Military Liaison Office at the Embassy of Kuwait in Abu Dhabi. The funds were intended for expenses of treatment for Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense.

According to the case file, the defendants seized AED 51 million from the funds of the military liaison office during the period from 2007 to 2012.

Nationality restored:

The Administrative Court cancelled the decision to strip a Kuwaiti man of his citizenship and ordered the concerned authority to restore the citizenship with attendant benefits.

According to the lawsuit filed by Attorney Musa’ed Al-Hajeri on behalf of the citizen, his client was accused of falsifying the citizenship and referred him to the Public Prosecution. However, the presiding court exonerated him, affirming his relationship with his father.

Previously, the Court of Appeals referred the case to the Administrative Court. Therefore, the verdict is considered interlocutory injunction.

Case of 16 continues:

The Criminal Court will hold its fourth session in the case of 16 individuals accused of joining banned groups and organizing Bedoun demonstrations in Taima’a and Erada Square.

Previously, the court chaired by Judge Muhammad Al-Sane’a postponed the session in order to listen to the defense. The court also dismissed a request to release the accused.

The accused had earlier been referred to the court facing a number of charges such as joining a banned group called Founding Council of Kuwaiti Bedouns as per the post of one of them on his Twitter account. The group aims to abolish the basic systems and to collapse governance.

These individuals are also accused of offending friendly countries, jeopardizing relations between Kuwait and these countries, organizing demonstrations without obtaining a permit, and misusing mobile phones.