KUWAIT CITY, Sep 26: A court, presided over by Counselor Nasr Salem Al-Haid, upheld the ruling that sentenced an inspector to four years in prison with hard labor, dismissed her from her job, and imposed a fine of KD 4,000. The same punishment was given to the expatriate who acted as a mediator in the case. The Public Prosecution charged the inspector, working as a public employee, with accepting a KD 2,000 bribe to cancel violations in a central market in the Hawalli Governorate and failing to report the bribe to her employer. The expatriate was accused of facilitating the bribery.

The incident came to light after an Asian employee working in one of the central markets reported the case to the Public Prosecution. According to the report, the accused inspector and others, wearing Food Authority uniforms, visited the market and issued 19 violations, four of which were issued in the employee's name. After the group left, the expatriate mediator approached the employee and informed him that the total fine for the violations amounted to KD 3,200. Still, he could pay KD 2,000 to have the violations destroyed.

Upon receiving this information, the employee notified the license holder, and authorities set up a sting operation. The inspector and the expatriate were caught in the act while exchanging the marked money and canceling the violations.