Cairo: Kuwait’s top appeals court has confirmed handing down 10 years in prison each to eight expatriates convicted of receiving bribery in return for tampering with results of blood tests, Kuwaiti media reported.
The defendants were earlier convicted of forging documents claiming expatriates are physically fit as part of residency requirements in return for bribes, according to media reports.
They were found guilty of bribery and forgery.
The verdicts against the convicts, who are Indian and Egyptian nationals, are now final, according to Al Rai newspaper.
They were arrested after an Asian expatriate was found to be a hepatitis patient despite holding a certificate stating he is physically fit to be allowed to work as a domestic labourer, Al Anba newspaper reported.
In investigations, he admitted to having paid a sum of money to another person in return for passing a medical test for a residency permit.
After arrest, the suspect led police to other accompliceces including employees at the Health Ministry and brokers, who admitted to having illegally issued the certificates in exchange for bribes ranging from KD200 to KD350, the report said without giving an exact timeframe.
