Court puts behind bars Kuwaiti doctor for embezzling public funds

The Criminal Court has sentenced a Kuwaiti doctor to five years in prison with hard labor, ordered him to repay approximately 115,000 dinars in unlawfully received salaries, fined him twice that amount (230,000 dinars), and dismissed him from public service.

The verdict was issued after the court found him guilty of prolonged absenteeism and illegally collecting wages, reports Al-Anba daily.

Meanwhile, the court acquitted the head of the department where the doctor was employed of all charges, including failure to report the violation, professional negligence, and causing significant financial harm to the state.

The case originated when the Ministry of Health referred the doctor to the Public Prosecution following the discovery that he had been absent from his post at a government hospital for five years while residing abroad. During this period, he continued to receive ‘public money’ in collusion with another individual.