KUWAIT CITY — The Court of Appeals has overturned a prison sentence previously handed down in a forgery case involving the manipulation of residential address records at the Public Authority for Civil Information.

The appellate court ruled on October 10 to rescind the four-year hard labor sentence imposed on the first defendant by the Criminal Court. The original conviction had included charges of unauthorized access to an automated system and forgery of an official document. The Court of Appeals acquitted the defendant of these charges and upheld his prior acquittals on accusations of money laundering, bribery, and participation in an organized criminal group.

Throughout the legal process, the defendant’s lawyer, Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan, maintained his client’s innocence. Al-Qattan argued that the money laundering charges were baseless due to the absence of criminal intent. He also contested the allegation that his client joined a criminal group, stating that no evidence supported this claim. Regarding bribery, the lawyer contended that there was insufficient proof to establish the offense.

Al-Qattan further disputed the validity of the unauthorized access charge, asserting that the legal elements required for such a conviction were not met. He questioned the admissibility of his client’s statements to the Public Prosecution and pointed to a lack of evidence linking the defendant to the alleged violations. The defense also raised concerns about the credibility of the investigations and the testimony provided by the arresting officer.

In support of the defense, a dossier was submitted containing personal documents such as the defendant’s marriage contract, records relating to family members, and invoices for gold jewelry that had been confiscated during the investigation. The defense requested either a full acquittal or, alternatively, the most lenient possible judgment, based on the defendant’s circumstances and the facts presented.

The Court of Appeals’ decision effectively clears the defendant of all charges related to forgery, unauthorized system access, money laundering, and bribery in this case.