On January 19, the Swiss court delivered a verdict against Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait, Minister of Defense, and member of the International Olympic Committee, finding him guilty of forgery. The court imposed a 24-month prison sentence, suspended for 15 months.

The court’s decision highlighted that in 2014, Sheikh Ahmad engaged in defamation against a competitor by fabricating videos and orchestrating false arbitration proceedings. Initially presenting a recording as evidence, it was promptly exposed as fraudulent. Undeterred,Sheikh Ahmad proceeded to submit a forged arbitration award to Geneva in an attempt to validate the authenticity of the video. However, the entire scheme was revealed to be a concoction orchestrated by Sheikh Ahmad and his co-conspirator’s legal representatives.

In connection with this case, Sheikh Ahmad had previously received a 30-month prison sentence, suspended for 15 months, for serious fraud and forgery during the preliminary hearing in September 2021. On December 28, 2023, the Geneva criminal justice system upheld his guilt during the appeal process. Considering the elapsed time and assessing the limited risk of a recurrence of such behavior, the court opted to reduce his sentence to 24 months while retaining a suspended sentence of 15 months.

As a consequence of the legal proceedings, Sheikh Ahmad not only faces imprisonment but has also lost the positions of defense minister and deputy prime minister, roles he had assumed just six months prior.