KUWAIT CITY, Sept 26:The Court of Appeals has overturned the ruling of a lower court that sentenced an individual to four years in prison with hard labor and fined him KD1,000 for driving under the influence of drugs with an undisclosed quantity of morphine in his possession; in addition to the withdrawal of his driving license, reports Al- Seyassah daily.

The higher court then acquitted the defendant. Case files indicate that the car of the accused collided with other vehicles, which led to his injuries and he was taken to the hospital. After undergoing medical tests, the initial medical report proved his unusual condition and he was suspected of taking narcotics and some medications. The accused fled from the hospital without completing the treatment, and then he surrendered to police who referred him to the Criminal Investigation General Department at the Interior Ministry.

Given the medical report and the traffic accident, the investigator referred him to the Forensic Medicine Department which found traces of morphine from the sample taken from him. Attorney Bashar Al-Nassar, who represented the accused at the Appeals Court, argued that the sample-taking, arrest, and search procedures were null and void. He presented the evidence that his client is innocent; stressing that the arrest and search procedures were invalid because the defendant was excluded from the accusation of causing the accident. He added the medical report stated that the defendant was suspected of using narcotics, but it did not prove his client committed a flagrant crime as a justification for the arrest and search procedures.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies