Appeals Court upholds 10-year jail term in expatriate medical test forgery case
The Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, presided over by Judge Nasr Salem Al-Haid has sentenced an expatriate to 10 years in prison with hard labor for bribery and involvement in falsifying medical test results.
The accused was found guilty of paying 200 dinars in bribe to expatriate employees to manipulate blood samples for HIV and hepatitis C tests and to issue forged medical fitness certificates to get residence permit.
This ruling follows a series of similar cases handled by the same court. In February 2022, three expatriate employees were sentenced to 10 years in prison for manipulating and falsifying blood samples in chronic disease tests in exchange for bribes. Another defendant received the same sentence in December 2023 for falsifying test results, reports Al-Anba daily
The case came to light after coordination between the Ministries of Health and Interior. The General Department for Monitoring Expatriates at the Ministry of Interior alerted the Ministry of Health about suspicious medical results, prompting a swift investigation.
Four expatriates underwent emergency re-examinations that included full blood tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, as well as chest X-rays for tuberculosis at the Tuberculosis Control Unit. Results confirmed positive cases of hepatitis B and C in two individuals, while all four were negative for tuberculosis.
The investigation uncovered a network involved in tampering with medical samples during transportation between collection centers and laboratories.
The scheme involved a security guard, a health inspector from the Ministry of Health, and external accomplices.
Authorities revealed that the forgery operation was orchestrated from abroad by a gang led by a woman, targeting expatriates seeking residency permits in Kuwait.
While three suspects were arrested inside Kuwait, four managed to escape, and four others were confirmed to be outside the country.
The Criminal Court had initially sentenced all defendants to 10 years imprisonment. The Court of Appeals later upheld the verdicts for five of the main defendants—including the employees and the bribe-givers—with hard labor and enforcement.
The case underscores the government’s continued vigilance against forgery and corruption in residency and medical examination procedures, reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding public health and integrity in administrative processes.
