Citizen Acquitted of Defrauding Woman of 40,000 Dinars

A misdemeanor court acquitted a Kuwaiti national of charges of fraud and swindling against a Kuwaiti woman for an amount of 40,000 dinars. Lawyer Mohammed Sati Al-Otaibi, representing the defendant, told the court that the crime of fraud and swindling can only be established if fraudulent means are employed, noting that this case amounts to no more than a civil dispute between the two parties. He clarified that a commercial project between his client and the complainant failed to materialize for reasons beyond his client’s control. Despite this, his client paid a significant portion of the amount before encountering financial difficulties and requesting a grace period to complete the repayment. However, the complainant filed a complaint accusing him of fraud and swindling. He pointed out that a mere breach of agreement does not constitute the crime of fraud, and that fraudulent means were not present, as confirmed by the statements of the victim during the investigation, indicating that the dispute is civil in nature between her and his client.