Kuwait Court annuls 7-year-jail term, fine against ex-minister

Kuwait’s Cassation Court has annulled a seven-year jail term and hefty fine ruled against three Health Ministry’s top officials, local media reported.

The court overturned the pervious ruling that was issued by the Court of Ministers - a special Kuwaiti court that was set up in 1995 to try government ministers who are involved in corruption cases.

The court annulled the jail term sentence on bail of 10,000 dinars each to stay out of prison and cancelled a fine of 81 million Kuwaiti dinars.

The cassation court fined the three defendants only 20,000 dinars each and relieved them of their posts on charges of power abuse and wasting public money.

The case dates to 2018, when the former health minister and the two former undersecretaries were referred by the Public Prosecution to the Court of Ministers on charges of corruption and squandering of public funds.