Kuwait Court of Appeals Sentences Mazen al-Jarrah to 5 Years in Prison

A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)
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Kuwait Court of Appeals Sentences Mazen al-Jarrah to 5 Years in Prison

A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)

The Kuwaiti Court of Appeal sentenced Major General Mazen al-Jarrah and Nawaf al-Shalahi to five years in prison and fined them KD1.360 million for money laundering and bribery in what was known as the case of the Bangladeshi MP.

It is the second part of the Bangladeshi MP, which dates back to June 2020 and involves security and political figures accused of human trafficking and money laundering.

The Appeal overturned the ruling of the Criminal Court, which released Jarrah last March without guarantee.

The Kuwaiti authorities arrested the Bangladeshi lawmaker on June 7, 2020, and he confessed to helping senior Kuwaiti officials and the interior ministry bring migrant workers on fake contracts in exchange for sums of money.

In 2020, the Bangladeshi MP, Mohammad Shahid, was convicted of human trafficking and sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor and a fine of KD2.7 million.

The court ordered the defendant to be deported after serving his sentence.

The Bangladeshi MP spent many years working in Kuwait and later returned to his country and became a member of the parliament. He is known in Bangladesh as “Kazi Babol.”

The Criminal Investigation Department in Kuwait charged him with human trafficking, money laundering, and torturing employees of his company based on complaints from five Bangladeshi migrant workers.

The accused MP was arrested in his home in the Mishref area and was charged with receiving money from dozens of workers in return for bringing them in from Bangladesh to Kuwait through a company he managed with illegal assistance from Kuwaiti officials accused in the case.

He also paid bribes to influential people to obtain tenders and forced workers to pay annual royalties in exchange for work contracts.



Egyptian Government Approves Formation of Higher Coordination Council with Saudi Arabia

The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egyptian Government Approves Formation of Higher Coordination Council with Saudi Arabia

The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

In an effort to strengthen the partnership between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian government approved on Wednesday the establishment of a higher joint coordination council.

On September 10, 2024, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty held a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, during which he announced that the two countries were in the final stages of launching the Egyptian-Saudi Higher Coordination Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He emphasized that the council would serve as a comprehensive framework for deepening bilateral relations and fostering collaboration in politics, economics, trade, development, and investment, aligning with the interests of both nations’ peoples.

In its Wednesday session, Egypt’s Cabinet approved the decision to establish the council. According to a government statement, the body will seek to “intensify communication and enhance cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in areas of mutual interest.”

The council, as outlined by the statement, will include ministers and officials from both countries covering relevant sectors. It will convene regular meetings alternately in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with provisions for extraordinary meetings as needed.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ayman Mohseb, deputy chairman of the Arab Affairs Committee in Egypt’s House of Representatives, said that the move reflects the advanced level of partnership between the two nations, describing the council as a “cornerstone for activating relations and expanding cooperation in various fields.”

“This step will significantly advance cooperation across diverse domains, driven by the political will of the two countries’ leaderships,” Mohsab said, adding that the new body would facilitate coordination between Cairo and Riyadh on a wide range of regional issues and areas of mutual interest.

During a meeting with Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan on Tuesday, El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s “pride in its historic relations with Saudi Arabia, both at the leadership and popular levels, and across all sectors.”