A Kuwaiti instructor has been sentenced to seven years in jail for masterminding an extensive eight-year medical leave fraud scheme. The court also confirmed a big fine of KD 100,000, ordering the teacher to have repeatedly forged medical leave certificates to obtain prolonged absences while still being paid full salary and benefits.
The authorities discovered the scam during a routine audit, where it was found that the teacher had obtained multiple medical leave approvals by presenting forged documents. The scam included forged hospital records and doctor’s signatures, enabling the teacher to remain absent from work while receiving a regular salary. Prosecutors claimed that the fraud not only caused financial losses to the education department but also caused inconvenience to school operations.
The case has also led to extensive debate in Kuwait regarding the necessity for increased scrutiny in government agencies to avoid such fraud. Plans have been made by officials to increase medical leave verification procedures to make them accountable. The teacher, who pleaded not guilty, will likely appeal the ruling, but legal experts opine that the evidence put forward in court renders it unlikely for the ruling to be overturned.
