Latest news with #AlQabas
Gulf Insider
6 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Cracks Down On Corruption: 19 Arrested In Co-Op Society Scandal
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has announced the arrest of 19 individuals involved in a wide-ranging corruption network that included members of cooperative society boards and the Union of Cooperative Societies, as well as officials from private commercial companies. According to Al Qabas Arabic daily, the suspects are accused of accepting bribes from commercial firms in exchange for prioritising their products within local cooperatives — violations that contravene established policies and regulatory frameworks. Investigations revealed that cooperative officials received illicit payments in return for giving certain products preferential shelf placement, in direct violation of cooperative society regulations. The arrests, carried out by the General Administration of Criminal Investigations and the Criminal Investigation and Licensing Department, are part of an ongoing government crackdown on corruption and misuse of public funds. Investigators also uncovered that several companies and intermediaries had paid illicit cash sums to cooperative officials in return for illegal commercial advantages. Authorities also apprehended several individuals who acted as couriers for the funds. According to the Ministry, those detained confessed to the charges during questioning. The suspects have since been referred to the Public Prosecution, and legal proceedings are underway. The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the integrity of the country's cooperative system, warning that any attempts to undermine public trust or harm national interests will be met with decisive action.
Gulf Insider
23-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Work Visa Scam Uncovered, 3 Arrested
In its latest crackdown on human trafficking and visa fraud, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has dismantled a work visa scam involving a Kuwaiti national who allegedly exploited his legal authority to profit from the illegal registration of expatriate workers. The Kuwaiti citizen is accused of running visa-for-cash scheme through dozens of shell companies, according to Al Qabas Arabic daily. The operation, uncovered in coordination with the General Department of Residence Affairs Investigations, revealed a complex network involving 25 companies and four affiliated businesses under the control of a single individual. The main suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, was authorised to sign on behalf of these firms, a privilege he allegedly used to register foreign workers under false pretences and sell residency permits. Officials said the scheme came to light following a tip-off. Investigators found that 56 workers had been registered under the companies, including several who had violated Kuwait's residency laws and visa regulations. Among them were individuals who were either working for entities not listed as their sponsors or had overstayed or breached the terms of their permits. When summoned for questioning, the accused admitted to accepting payments ranging from KD350 ($1,137) to KD1,200 in exchange for arranging visas and work permits. He confessed to working through two intermediaries — a Syrian and an Indian — who helped facilitate the transactions, despite the workers not being employed by the companies sponsoring their residency. Authorities say the case highlights the persistent challenges posed by visa trafficking in the country and underscores ongoing efforts to tighten oversight of corporate licencing as well as residency and work permits. The Ministry of Interior reiterated its commitment to enforcing the law and holding accountable those who exploit the labour system for personal gain.
Gulf Insider
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Jails Education Ministry Employees For Leaking High School Exam Papers
The Kuwaiti Court of Cassation has handed down prison sentences to three Ministry of Education employees in connection with a high-profile case involving the leak of confidential secondary school examination papers, Al Qabas Arabic daily reported. The court sentenced the head of the Ministry's secret printing house to three years in prison with hard labour after finding him guilty of photographing and distributing classified exam materials in exchange for personal favours. Two others — a teacher and a fellow ministry employee — received six-month prison terms and were placed under a two-year probation period tied to a good conduct bond. According to court documents, the leaks originated from within the ministry's secure printing unit, where the convicted official violated protocol by supplying exam papers to the other defendants. The court ruled that the acts constituted a serious breach of public trust and a violation of official duties, undermining the credibility of Kuwait's national education system. The ruling underscores the judiciary's strict stance on corruption within public institutions and its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of national examinations. Source Gulf News
Gulf Insider
22-07-2025
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait: Court Sentences Three Egyptians To Seven Years For Manipulating Utility Bills
Kuwait's Criminal Court has sentenced three Egyptians to seven years in prison for forging official documents and manipulating electricity and water bills, resulting in losses to public funds estimated at nearly KD1 million, according to Al Qabas Arabic daily. The court found that the defendants had tampered with utility meters and falsified billing data for a businessman and two other Kuwaiti citizens, reducing or erasing charges in exchange for substantial bribes. According to court documents, one of the defendants was employed as a data entry clerk at the Ministry of Electricity and Water's service centre. Prosecutors said he conspired with the other two to exploit the ministry's electronic system, forging consumption records and cancelling charges on behalf of clients who paid for the service illegally. The fraud was uncovered during an internal audit and referred to the Public Prosecution. The court convicted all three men of forgery, bribery, dereliction of official duty, and abuse of public office, and embezzlement of public funds.
Gulf Insider
23-05-2025
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Sentences Police Officers To 10 Years For Drug Smuggling
A Kuwaiti court has sentenced two policemen and a customs inspector to 10 years in prison each for attempting to smuggle drugs. The country's Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of the three, including a firefighting officer, on attempting to smuggle 1 million banned Lyrica pills at Kuwait Airport. The defendants had been arrested by the Kuwaiti anti-drug police after receiving information that they were smuggling the substance in seven suitcases, Al Qabas newspaper reported without specifying the date of the arrests. Several countries ban dealing in Lyrica pills because of potential abuse and addiction. In recent months, Kuwaiti authorities have announced foiling several bids to smuggle drugs into the country. Earlier this month, a shipment arriving at Kuwait's Shuwaikh Port was found out to have contained 110kg of hashish that had been secretly hidden inside marble slabs. Two suspects — a Syrian national and an illegal resident with Eritrean citizenship— were arrested in connection with the bid, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said. They attempted to smuggle the shipment in collaboration with a person outside Kuwait identified as a Gulf national. In addition to the drugs, 6,000 Captagon pills, 5 grams of the intoxicating shabu substance, and a digital scale used in preparing and distributing narcotics were found at one suspect' house. The origin country of the illicit cargo was not revealed.
