Former defence minister Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahd of Kuwait has been sent to the Ministerial Court for allegedly misusing secret government expenditure, official sources said. The case concerns an eye-popping KD400,000 (approx. $1.3 million) that was allegedly used to purchase luxury cars and watches.
Officials say the money, which was for clandestine defence operations, was diverted when Sheikh Ahmad was in charge. The investigators established that invoices and receipts followed the money to personal excesses, casting doubts about abuse of power and financial malpractice.
This high-level referral is in the context of Kuwait’s general drive for transparency and accountability among government agencies. The Ministerial Court will adjudicate the case because of the ministerial level of the suspect, after a parliamentary recommendation and popular clamor for justice.
Sheikh Ahmad previously dismissed allegations of wrongdoing, insisting that the deals were carried out as part of official work. But with the mounting evidence, legal commentators believe the case could become a milestone in Kuwait’s battle against corruption at the top.
