Cassation Court Convicts Ex-MP Saleh Ashour in Embezzlement Case
The Court of Cassation in Kuwait convicted former MP Saleh Ashour on June 21, 2026, sentencing him and a co-defendant to three years in prison with hard labor for embezzlement of association donation funds. The ruling overturned earlier acquittals following a Public Prosecution appeal based on a Ministry of Social Affairs report, as reported by Arab Times in coverage that referenced a prior October 2025 acquittal in the KD 151,000 case.
Arab Times detailed how the Court of Cassation’s First Criminal Circuit reviewed the case after the prosecution lodged its appeal against the acquittals. The court ultimately sided with the prosecution, convicting both men on charges of embezzlement and misappropriation. The sentence includes hard labor, a standard addition in such Kuwaiti criminal convictions for financial offenses. No additional fines were mentioned in the initial reports of the verdict.
The legal proceedings trace back to a complaint filed by the Ministry of Social Affairs concerning the management of donation funds at the Al-Thaqalayn Association. Times Kuwait reported last October that the Court of Appeal had upheld a lower court’s decision to acquit Ashour and the other citizen. In that report, the defendants were said to have denied any wrongdoing and insisted their actions complied with all applicable laws. The Cassation court’s intervention has now altered that outcome in a binding decision.
According to parliamentary records, Saleh Ashour represented Constituency One from 1999 to 2020 and secured reelection in 2022. He was born in 1953 and became a familiar name in Kuwaiti politics over more than 20 years. Ashour participated in debates and committees addressing matters including social welfare during his multiple terms in the National Assembly.
The case began with a report from the Ministry of Social Affairs on the Al-Thaqalayn Association’s donation funds. This report formed the basis for the embezzlement accusations against the former MP and his co-defendant. The ministry’s involvement reflects its mandate to oversee nonprofit financial activities in the country. Details of the exact amount and specific transactions were not elaborated in the latest reporting.
In a related development, the Interior Ministry denied rumors on June 13, 2026, that Saleh Ashour and his brother had been arrested. Kuwait Times carried the ministry’s statement urging citizens to seek information from official channels only. The rumors circulated shortly before the Cassation ruling was issued. This sequence of events highlighted the public attention given to the former parliamentarian’s legal situation.
