Nizahat and Judicial Studies Institute Emphasize Integrated Efforts to Protect Public Funds - Sarmad

(KUNA) — The Kuwait Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies and the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nizahat) emphasized on Monday the importance of integrating national efforts to protect public funds, prevent and combat corruption, and consolidate the rule of law, thereby serving the public interest and strengthening trust in state institutions.

This came during a panel discussion organized by the Institute at its headquarters in collaboration with the Authority, under the title “Legal, Supervisory, and Security Integration in Protecting Public Funds and Combating Corruption,” as part of an institutional partnership and to activate the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties.

In his remarks, Dr. Badr Al-Musaed, First Advisor and Director of the Kuwait Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies, stated that protecting public funds is not merely an administrative or financial duty, but a shared legal and national responsibility linked to safeguarding state resources, enhancing confidence in institutions, and reinforcing principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Al-Musaed added that the panel discussion holds significant national and institutional importance due to the need for legal, supervisory, and security integration in protecting public funds and combating corruption. He noted that addressing corruption in the context of evolving financial and technological transactions requires shifting from reacting to violations after they occur to building an integrated system for prevention, early detection, and accountability.

He highlighted the importance of integrating three main pathways: the legal path, through developing legislation and ensuring its proper implementation; the supervisory path, by strengthening preventive oversight, risk analysis, and early detection of violations; and the security path, through developing investigative and forensic tools, evidence collection, and tracing proceeds of crime, while respecting legal safeguards.

He also pointed out the importance of specialized training and capacity building to keep pace with developments, particularly the opportunities and challenges posed by modern technologies and artificial intelligence in detecting and combating corruption crimes.

Al-Musaed reaffirmed the shared commitment of the Institute and Nizahat to provide platforms for dialogue, exchange of expertise, and enhanced cooperation with national institutions, contributing to the development of institutional practices and supporting the public fund protection system in the State of Kuwait.

For her part, Dr. Rana Al-Faris, Chairperson of the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nizahat), emphasized the importance of integrating legal, supervisory, and security roles in protecting public funds and combating corruption. She stressed that safeguarding public money is a national responsibility that requires coordinated efforts among relevant entities, integration of expertise, and continuous institutional cooperation and dialogue.

In her remarks, Dr. Al-Faris stated that protecting public funds is linked to society’s right to its resources and the state’s ability to fulfill its obligations and achieve development. She noted that this responsibility is grounded in a firm constitutional principle, citing Article 17 of the Constitution of the State of Kuwait, which states that “public funds are inviolable, and their protection is obligatory upon every citizen.”

She clarified that this principle is embodied in Kuwait’s penal legislation system, including the Penal Code and its supplementary laws, notably Law No. 1 of 1993 on the Protection of Public Funds, Law No. 2 of 2016 establishing the Public Authority for Combating Corruption, and provisions regarding the disclosure of financial status and its amendments, all of which strengthen the protection of public funds and hold perpetrators of offenses against them accountable.

It was noted that the United Nations Convention against Corruption underscored the importance of cooperation among national authorities and the exchange of information in accordance with domestic law, as well as the enhancement of specialized capacities, thereby highlighting the significance of linking legal frameworks with practical implementation. It also emphasized the effectiveness of protecting public funds, which requires the proper application of legal provisions, the integrity of procedures, and the integration of roles among competent authorities.

The statement stressed that safeguarding public funds and consolidating the rule of law are shared goals that require concerted efforts, complementary expertise, and continued responsible dialogue. It expressed pride in the partnership between “Nizaha” (the National Authority for Combating Corruption) and “Judicial Studies,” and emphasized the commitment to further activate this collaboration to achieve common objectives and contribute to serving the State of Kuwait and safeguarding its resources.

The panel discussion, which featured specialists from relevant authorities, shed light on the legislative framework for protecting public funds and combating corruption. It also reviewed the supervisory and preventive roles in enhancing integrity, protecting public funds, and combating corruption, as well as the security role in uncovering crimes against public funds and the investigative procedures involved.

Participants in the panel discussion affirmed that public funds are inviolable and that holding a public office is not merely an assignment or responsibility, but a duty imposed by national responsibility and legal rules. They clarified that protecting and preserving public funds is a duty incumbent upon every citizen.

They noted that the Kuwaiti legislator has afforded special protection to public funds, combating corruption, and preserving the honor of public service by enshrining these principles in the Law for the Protection of Public Funds, the Kuwaiti Penal Code, and related legislation.

They stressed that protecting public funds and combating corruption are not merely legal provisions that criminalize and penalize anyone proven to have misappropriated public funds; rather, they constitute an integrated system that begins with legislation and the sound management of public funds and public service, followed by monitoring expenditures and the extent of compliance with functional laws, and culminates in the actual enforcement of legal provisions and the pursuit and accountability of anyone proven to have violated public funds.

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Ahmed Al-Maqaled, Advisor and Deputy Director of the Institute’s Sector for Relations, Communications, and Research, was attended by Saud Al-Sane, Advisor and Deputy Director of the Institute’s Sector for Continuous and Specialized Training; Abdulhamid Al-Hammar, Director of the Legal Affairs Department and Acting Director of the Technical Office Department at “Nizaha”; and Major Salem Al-Humaidah, representative of the Financial Crimes Investigation Department at the Ministry of Interior.