State Security Crimes: 10-Year Prison Sentences for Kuwaiti Nationals and Expatriates in Money Laundering Cases
Mubarak Habib: The State Security, Crimes, and Terrorism Crimes Court, presided over by Advisor Nasser Al-Badr and with advisors Omar Al-Mulifi, Abdullah Al-Fahad, and Salem Al-Zaid, issued several rulings in cases involving money laundering and state security crimes. The judgments included prison sentences, fines, and business closures for defendants and companies, alongside acquittals in several other cases.
In one of the largest money laundering cases, involving 32 defendants—both Kuwaiti citizens and expatriates, including bank employees, currency exchange company managers, and managers of other firms, as well as 21 companies operating in commercial, contracting, car repair, import and export, mobile taxi, restaurant, and currency exchange activities—the court sentenced some defendants to 10 years in prison and fined them KD 281,881,000. The companies and commercial entities were fined KD 140,940,946, ordered to close permanently, and banned from conducting any commercial activity, while several defendants were acquitted.
The Public Prosecution had accused the defendants of laundering approximately KD 140,940,000, alleging that the funds were collected in cash through illegal means, deposited into company accounts, and then partially transferred abroad and partially to currency exchange companies to disguise their origin by making them appear as proceeds from legitimate commercial activities.
In another money laundering case, the court sentenced a criminal gang comprising one citizen and two expatriates to 10 years in prison and fined them KD 14,908,000, convicting them of laundering money through the hawala (alternative remittance) system via companies and commercial entities. The companies linked to the case were fined KD 7,454,000, equivalent to the value of the laundered funds attributed to them.
In a separate case, the court acquitted a lawyer of charges inciting sectarian strife and insulting Shia citizens, following the publication of a video after the Ministry of Interior announced the dismantling of cells linked to Hezbollah during last Ramadan. The court also acquitted a university professor of charges of broadcasting false news, publishing and translating a foreign book that, according to the accusations, contained information and content undermining the ruling system, adopting it as a teaching curriculum, and inciting adherence to ideas that destabilize the fundamental systems of the country, in addition to importing and circulating the book without complying with prescribed legal procedures.
In state security cases, the court acquitted a citizen of charges of inciting sectarian strife. In a case involving sympathy with an enemy state and inciting strife, the court refrained from punishing a female citizen but required her to provide bail of KD 3,000. Meanwhile, another female citizen was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of broadcasting false news.
