The Misdemeanor Appeals Court has upheld a lower court ruling acquitting a Criminal Security Sector officer of carrying a firearm in a prohibited area after a pistol and five live rounds were found in his travel bag as he prepared to depart through Kuwait International Airport.
Investigations revealed that the weapon was officially assigned to the officer as part of his duties and that its presence in the bag resulted from an unintentional oversight. There was no evidence that he had attempted to conceal the weapon or circumvent airport security screening procedures.
The court stated that the legal exemption allowing individuals whose professional duties require them to carry firearms is not limited to the period when they are actively performing a specific assignment. It also extends to carrying a weapon in connection with their official duties, including possessing and safeguarding a firearm entrusted to them as official property.
Defence lawyer Fahad Al-Shammari argued that the elements of the alleged offence and criminal intent were absent, stressing that the pistol was an official service weapon and had not been carried for personal purposes.