Latest news with #CourtofCassation
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Egyptian Stole Half a Million... Then Opened a Beauty Clinic — Now He's in Kuwait Jail
KUWAIT CITY, July 21: The Court of Cassation has sentenced an Egyptian national to 10 years in prison with hard labor for charges of breach of trust, embezzlement, and money laundering during his time as a financial manager at the Kuwait Teachers Association. In addition to the prison term, the court ordered the defendant to pay a fine of approximately KD 1 million and ruled that he be deported from the country upon completion of his sentence. The case dates back to 2018, when the accused was found to have manipulated the association's accounts, repeatedly increasing his own salary, issuing unauthorized payments, and disbursing checks that bounced. Investigations revealed that he had exploited his position to issue five unapproved checks and embezzled over KD 500,000, which he funneled into a private business venture. The stolen funds were allegedly used to open a cosmetic clinic, which generated over KD 400,000 in profits. The court viewed this as a clear case of laundering illicit gains under the guise of legitimate investment. The final ruling brings an end to a high-profile case that highlighted serious breaches of financial oversight within the association.
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Oueidat once again absent from interrogation with Judge Bitar over Aug. 4 port explosion
Former public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oueidat, did not appear at the interrogation session scheduled for Monday before investigating judge at the Court of Justice, Tarek Bitar, who had summoned him as part of his investigation into the explosion that occurred at Beirut Port on Aug. 4, 2020. Judge Bitar decided to 'not summon Judge Oueidat again and to postpone any decision regarding him until the indictment is issued,' in accordance with the approach adopted for 'other people recently questioned,' reported the state-run National News Agency (NNA). On July 11, Oueidat declined to appear. He had not been notified of the hearing by the judicial police and had been summoned via the Public Prosecution, according to a high-ranking judicial source cited by L'Orient-Le Jour. Judge Bitar then set a new hearing for July 21, 10 days later. In January 2023, Oueidat prohibited the Public Prosecution and the judicial police from cooperating with Bitar in the port investigation. This ban was lifted on March 10, 2025, by the new public prosecutor, Jamal Hajjar, after 26 months of deadlock. On July 4, it was Amal MP and former minister Ghazi Zeaiter who did not appear at his hearing, choosing to be represented by his lawyer, Samer al-Hajj. A new summons was set for July 18, which Zeaiter also failed to attend. On Aug. 4, 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated a large part of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring 6,500. The blast was caused by a fire in a port warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored without precaution, despite repeated warnings to the highest authorities, who were accused of negligence. Judge Bitar had to suspend his investigations in January 2023, faced with hostility from much of the political class, notably Hezbollah, as well as a series of legal actions brought against him. He resumed his investigation at the beginning of 2025 and has already questioned several former officials, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and former Interior Minister Nohad Mashnouk.
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Bahrain: Court Upholds Fines For Raising Over BD26,000 Without Licence
Two former leaders of a professional society have been found guilty of gathering more than BD26,000 without official permission, after the Court of Cassation upheld previous rulings. The court imposed a fine of BD100 each on the society's former chairwoman and the former financial secretary. Judges also ordered the BD26,062 raised illegally to be seized by the authorities. Prosecutors said the two defendants had breached fundraising regulations by collecting donations without securing the proper government authorisation. Collection PracticesThe incident surfaced after the Minister of Social Development alerted prosecutors that civil society monitors in his department had discovered unlawful collection practices. In her defence, the ex-chairwoman insisted she never personally handled the BD26,062. She maintained the funds were directly transferred to the bank account of an event management firm hired to organise a conference, under an agreement with her association. Hotel ExpensesFrom that sum, BD15,000 was reportedly spent settling hotel expenses, for which she provided invoices, with the remainder handed to the organising company. However, the courts remained unconvinced by these claims, concluding the funds had been improperly raised without the mandatory approval.
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Court Upholds Fines for Raising Over BD26,000 Without Licence
Two former leaders of a professional society have been found guilty of gathering more than BD26,000 without official permission, after the Court of Cassation upheld previous rulings. The court imposed a fine of BD100 each on the society's former chairwoman and the former financial secretary. Judges also ordered the BD26,062 raised illegally to be seized by the authorities. Prosecutors said the two defendants had breached fundraising regulations by collecting donations without securing the proper government authorisation. Collection Practices The incident surfaced after the Minister of Social Development alerted prosecutors that civil society monitors in his department had discovered unlawful collection practices. In her defence, the ex-chairwoman insisted she never personally handled the BD26,062. She maintained the funds were directly transferred to the bank account of an event management firm hired to organise a conference, under an agreement with her association. Hotel Expenses From that sum, BD15,000 was reportedly spent settling hotel expenses, for which she provided invoices, with the remainder handed to the organising company. However, the courts remained unconvinced by these claims, concluding the funds had been improperly raised without the mandatory approval.
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Former prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat refuses to be notified of summons from Judge Bitar
Former public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation Ghassan Oueidat refused on Thursday to be notified of a hearing scheduled by investigative judge at the Court of Justice Tarek Bitar for questioning on Monday as a suspect in the case of the double explosion at Beirut's port, which occurred on Aug. 4, 2020. In practice, the judicial police, acting on instructions from the head of the Court of Cassation, public prosecutor's office Jamal Hajjar, went on Thursday to Shehim — the former magistrate's hometown and place of residence in the Chouf — to deliver his summons, a source at the Palace of Justice told L'Orient-Le Jour. Oueidat read the notification without signing it and sent a letter to Bitar through the police officer, in which he asserts that the judge has neither 'legitimacy' nor 'jurisdiction' to question him. To justify his refusal, Oueidat relied on Article 354 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which he interprets as requiring, among other things, that a magistrate accused of a misdemeanor or felony must be tried before a judicial body designated ad hoc. Oueidat had already been summoned on July 11 by Bitar, but did not attend the hearing as the judicial police had not duly notified him. In January 2023, the former head of the public prosecutor's office initiated legal proceedings against Bitar for 'usurpation of authority' and 'rebellion against the judiciary,' after the latter decided, based on a legal study, to resume his investigation by bypassing the judicial deadlock he faced due to a series of appeals filed against him by suspects — which were deemed abusive.
