Kuwait's highest court has delivered a verdict on Sunday, sentencing former defence and interior minister Sheikh Khalid al-Jarrah al-Sabah to seven years in prison for mishandling military funds. The court also ordered former Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah, facing similar charges, to return the funds in question.
Both individuals had consistently denied the charges brought against them. Sheikh Jaber had resigned as prime minister in 2019 after lawmakers sought a no-confidence vote against Sheikh Khalid, who was serving as interior minister at the time.
In 2019, Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed, then defence minister, released a statement indicating that the cabinet's resignation aimed to avoid addressing the alleged mismanagement of approximately 240 million dinars ($778.61 million) in military funds before he assumed office.
While Sheikh Jaber and Sheikh Khalid were initially acquitted of embezzlement charges in March 2022, the case was later reopened upon an appeal from the Kuwaiti prosecution. The recent court decision reflects the continued legal scrutiny into the handling of military funds by these former high-ranking officials, underscoring Kuwait's commitment to transparency and accountability in governance.
