Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah found guilty in a highly-politicized case pending of appeal

GENEVA – Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, a prominent figure in international sports and a key member of Kuwait ruling family, was found guilty by a Swiss criminal court on Friday in a highly-politicized case of forgery that it is pending appeal.

The sheikh had denied all the charges in the case about the use a bogus Kuwaiti coup plot to gain advantage over political rivals.

The impact of the high-level political dispute is yet to be seen since many instances are coming and the final development is still open. The future of his country ruling was at the center of the dispute, according to political analysts.

Sources close to the Sheik Ahmad said he would keep on working closely with the Swiss justice system to clear his name and demonstrate his innocence.

“Following today’s guilty verdict by the Court of Geneva in the trial of Sheik Ahmad al Fahad Al Sabah for alleged forgery, Sheik Ahmad has announced that he will appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal of Geneva,” his office said in a press statement.

In the meantime, Sheik Ahmad has decided to temporarily step aside as President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Sheikh Ahmad has been a government minister in his country and in 2005 was secretary general of the OPEC organization of oil-producing nations.

He temporarily self-suspended as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and president of the Association of National Olympic Committees in November 2018.

IMMEDIATE APPEAL

In a press statement released by OCA to its members, the Sheik Ahmad said: “Following today’s verdict by the Court of Geneva in my trial for alleged forgery, I will be immediately appealing the decision to the Court of Appeal of Geneva.”

“I have always maintained to you and the wider Olympic Movement; my innocence of these charges and I am determined to clear my name in the Court of Appeal of Geneva, and I am totally confident of success.”

“In the meantime, I have decided to temporarily step aside as President of the OCA with immediate effect until I have successfully appealed today’s verdict.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your loyalty, friendship, and support over the years. Together we have achieved so much. However, this is not the end of the journey, this is merely a pause along the way, and I look forward to keeping in touch with you all.”

The Sheikh’s office has released a statement today which is the following

“Following today’s guilty verdict by the Court of Geneva in the trial of Sheik Ahmad al Fahad Al Sabah for alleged forgery, Sheik Ahmad has announced that he will appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal of Geneva.

Sheik Ahmad has always maintained his innocence of these charges and is confident that he will clear his name in the Court of Appeal of Geneva.

In the meantime, Sheik Ahmad has decided that he will temporarily step aside as President of the OCA until he has successfully appealed today’s verdict”

After this statement it is clear that a long judicial battle is going to take place with an open final verdict to come in the following years.