KUWAIT CITY, May 12: The Court of Cassation has overturned the ruling of the Appeals Court that sentenced a citizen and six other people to death. Instead, the court slapped on the suspects five years imprisonment with hard labor for kidnapping a minor and raping him inside a marine chalet. It is worth mentioning the Court of Appeals decided to issue the capital punishment against all seven defendants after the Public Prosecution charged them for kidnapping and raping a minor after the lower court had sentenced each of them to 10 years in prison with hard labor. Attorney Zaid Al-Khabbaz representing one of the defendants argued that the previous rulings went against evidences provided by the prosecution, given that it did not indicate the role played by his client.‘6 can run for poll’: The Court of Cassation upheld the Court of Appeals’ decision to overturn the verdict issued by the Ministry of Interior barring six candidates from participating in the Municipal Council election due to take place next Saturday. The court ruled that all six petitioners are eligible to run for a seat in the Municipal Council election. They include Salah Eidan, Hassan Haydar, Mi’eb Al-Rajihi, Fadhiya Asad, Fahad Al-Otaibi and Al-Daihani. It is worth mentioning the Court of Appeals recently overturned the lower court’s verdict that determined the decision of the Interior Ministry and rectified cancellation of the candidacy of petitioners by rejecting the petition.Firm returns cash: The Commercial Circuit of the Court of First Instance obliged a real-estate brokerage company to pay a Kuwaiti woman KD 30,000, which is the amount she had paid to the company for a real-estate in the USA. In a lawsuit filed by Lawyer Thamer Mubarak on behalf of the citizen, he said his client signed a contract with the company for the latter to buy the real estate in the USA at the above mentioned price. The contract had a provision for mutual cancellation of the contract as well as refund of the paid amount. When his client wanted the cancellation of the contract and asked for the refund of her money, the company did not execute its commitment to return the money despite repeated calls. The court ordered the company to pay the citizen all her money after Lawyer Mubarak presented evidences in favor of his client during the court session.Verdict overturned: The Court of Appeals presided over by Judge Salah Al-Houti overturned the verdict of the lower court which sentenced three Kuwaiti citizens to five-year imprisonment. The court instead acquitted them of the charges of possessing “Ecstasy” pills with intent of consumption, assaulting police officers, and driving under narcotic influence. According to the case files, the prosecuting officer testified that the three defendants were inside a vehicle when they reached a security checkpoint in Salwa area. The officer noticed the three occupants of the car appeared to be intoxicated which prompted him to order them to produce their identification documents. As the officer was inquiring about them, two of the suspects stepped out of the car and assaulted him, inflicting injuries on various parts of his body. However, other police officers managed to contain the situation and arrested them. They found narcotic pills inside the car. Representing the defendants was Lawyer Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan who said the officers had unlawfully stopped and searched his clients, adding that the prosecution failed to prove whether the pills were for his clients. He highlighted the illegality of the entire procedures taken by the arresting officer.By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah Staff