The Court of Cassation rejected the appeals of two Arabs, as well as several Asian expats against the ruling of the Court of Appeals, sentencing them to ten years jail time on the grounds of bribery and forgery, and for tampering with the results of blood analysis, an Arab daily reported. After investigations, the defendants were referred to trial, indicating that they had issued “healthy fit” certificates to several residents with viral diseases and submitted them to the Residence Affairs Department to grant them residency in the country.
Meanwhile, an Asian expat was arrested for obtaining a residence permit as a domestic worker after presenting a certificate that states “healthy fit” even though the worker was unfit for work. The fraud was paid in exchange for allowing the expat to pass the medical examination and obtain residency. The suspect was arrested and confessed to instructing others, including mediators and employees of the Ministry of Health who acknowledged issuing these certificates in return for sums of money ranging between 200 and 350 dinars.