Manama: A Kuwaiti prince was on Thursday sentenced to death for the murder of another prince, a Kuwaiti online news portal reported.
The Criminal Court found Shaikh Faisal Al Abdullah Al Sabah guilty of the murder of his nephew Shaikh Basil Salem Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah and ordered his execution, Al Aan said.
According to Kuwaiti media, Shaikh Faisal who works as a captain in the Kuwaiti army had gone in June 2010 to visit Shaikh Basil at the Maseelah palace owned by the late Emir. The two princes were sitting together with other people, when the alleged killer told his nephew that he wanted to speak with him in private.
The two princes left the main room and, seconds later, guests heard shots. Upon entering the room, they found Shaikh Basil wounded and promptly took him to Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital where he was declared dead.
Medical staff said that the prince had been shot several times at close range, according to reports. The police arrested the alleged killer and started an investigation into the case.
Shaikh Basil, 52, is the grandson of Kuwait's 12th Emir, Shaikh Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, who ruled from November 24, 1965 until December 31, 1977, and the eldest son of Shaikh Salem Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah and Shaikha Badriya Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah.
His father was Kuwait's ambassador to the United States, Canada and Venezuela from 1970 until 1975. He then held the portfolios of social affairs and labour, interior, defence and foreign affairs until 2001 when he gave up political work on health grounds.
The Kuwaiti authorities had ruled out any political motives behind the murder as Shaikh Basil did not hold an official position with the government.
