Financial crime is prosecuted under the Penal Code, Law No. 16 of 1960, and, where public money or public office is involved, under the Public Funds Protection Law, Law No. 1 of 1993 and the Anti-Corruption Authority Law, Law No. 2 of 2016. Money laundering and terrorist financing are governed by Law No. 106 of 2013 and its Executive Regulations. The firm acts for accused persons and for complainants at every stage, from the first summons through to the Court of Cassation, and for individuals, companies, and their directors and officers.
We defend allegations of forgery, fraud, embezzlement, breach of trust, dishonoured cheques, bribery, corruption and money laundering. The work begins before charge: attendance at the Public Prosecution and the General Department of Investigations, preparation of the account the client gives, preservation and presentation of the documentary record, and the instruction of accounting and handwriting experts. Where the complaint is ours to bring, we prepare and file it and pursue the civil claim alongside it.
For institutions, we advise on the compliance frameworks and reporting obligations set by the Kuwait Financial Intelligence Unit, the Central Bank of Kuwait, the Capital Markets Authority and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, on internal investigations conducted before a regulator becomes involved, and on customs and import offences, sanctions exposure and investigations running in more than one jurisdiction. We also advise on the consequences that arrive long before any verdict does: travel bans, asset freezes, detention pending investigation, regulatory notification, and the effect on employment and licensing.