By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The criminal court yesterday sentenced Bangladeshi lawmaker Mohammed Shahid Islam and Kuwaiti Maj Gen Mazen Al-Jarrah, in addition to a former senior official and a businessman, to four years in jail and a hefty fine of KD 1.97 million over a major bribery scandal.

The rulings are not final and can be challenged before the appeals and cassation courts. A Syrian national was also sentenced to three years in jail in absentia in relation to the case. But the court acquitted MP Saadoun Hammad and former MP Salah Khorshid of being involved in the case.

This was one of the biggest corruption cases to be handled by Kuwaiti courts. The Bangladeshi MP was arrested several months ago and confessed to offering large bribes to senior government officials including Jarrah, a member of the ruling family, to get his business done in violation of the law.

He was charged with trafficking in persons by recruiting Bangladeshi workers by charging them illegal fees, and for giving bribes to senior officials and MPs to get his business done. The court however acquitted the convicts from the charge of trafficking in persons.

Meanwhile, MP Hisham Al-Saleh submitted a draft law calling to give priority of appointments in government jobs to Kuwaiti citizens, adding expats should be appointed in such jobs on a temporary basis and only when there are no Kuwaitis to take up those jobs.

The bill stipulates that government jobs should be given first to Kuwaitis, followed by children of Kuwaiti women married to foreign husbands, and then to stateless people known as bedoons. Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states come next in priority. It stipulates that before appointing expats, the government must advertise the job vacancies, and if no Kuwaiti is available for the job, expats should be appointed on a temporary basis through a contract.

Secretary General of the National Assembly Allam Al-Kandari said yesterday he has tendered his resignation to Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem. He said that his resignation comes after the cancellation of an Amiri decree appointing senior officials for a period of four years only.