Kuwait’s ministerial court ordered in an unprecedented move the pre-trial detention of former prime minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah in a case over the alleged mishandling of military funds.
The court set the next hearing for April 27. It also denied a request to release former defense and interior minister Sheikh Khalid al-Jarrah al-Sabah.
Furthermore, it ordered a ban on publishing information about the case based on a request from the defense team.
The two former officials have rejected the charges directed against them.
Sheikh Jaber had in 2019 resigned as prime minister, a post he had held since 2011, after lawmakers sought a no-confidence vote against Sheikh Khalid, who was interior minister at the time.
The then defense minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed had issued a statement two days after the government’s resignation, saying the cabinet stood down to avoid addressing mismanagement of some 240 million dinars ($790 million) in military funds before he assumed office.
Sheikh Nasser unveiled documents on the seized funds, prompting the cabinet to resign. He also accused the former premier of “procrastinating in addressing the corruption cases.”
The ailing Sheikh Nasser died last December just months after his father and ruling emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad passed away.
