KUWAIT CITY, April 1: In a stern ruling aimed at deterring those who exploit and defraud individuals with disabilities for unjustified gains, the Criminal Court, led by Counselor Miteb Al-Ardhi, has convicted 54 defendants involved in a scheme to forge disability certificates, reports Al-Qabas daily. The court sentenced two Egyptians and nine Kuwaitis to seven years in prison for their involvement in the forgery of disability certificates. Additionally, 13 other defendants received a two-year prison term with hard labor, with the execution of the sentence suspended for three years, along with a bail requirement of 1,000 dinars.

Abstain
Furthermore, the court decided to abstain from pronouncing a verdict on 30 citizens involved in the case, instead obliging them to pay 500 dinars in bail and pledge good behavior. The court emphasized in its ruling that the defendants had engaged in a criminal enterprise to unlawfully obtain benefits intended for disabled individuals through forged documents, thus defrauding public funds. The scheme involved the alteration of official documents, including application forms, reports, and medical examinations, to falsify disability claims.

Revealed
The investigation revealed that the initial defendants, two expatriates, had manipulated and forged official documents, prompting further inquiries by the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs. Subsequent examinations exposed the involvement of the remaining defendants in the fabrication of disability certificates. The accused were found to have illegally accessed the Authority’s electronic information system using the usernames and passwords of unsuspecting employees. This illicit access allowed them to modify electronic documents containing data related to disability claims, facilitating the issuance of fraudulent disability certificates. The prosecution confirmed that the defendants utilized the forged documents to obtain disability cards and access benefits allocated to disabled individuals and their families.