KUWAIT CITY, Sep 18: The General Fire Force carried out an inspection campaign on Wednesday evening in the West Abu Fatira Al-Hirafiya area to ensure that shops and commercial establishments comply with fire safety and prevention regulations.

During the campaign, two establishments were administratively closed for violating safety standards. Additionally, 16 notices and warnings were issued to other businesses found to be non-compliant with the requirements set by the General Fire Force.

KUWAIT CITY, Sep 17: In a major security and environmental protection operation, the Border Security and Coast Guard Sector, under the General Directorate of Coast Guard, has arrested 12 illegal Bangladeshi workers who were operating from a camp owned by a Ministry of Interior officer.

According to the Ministry of Interior, the camp had been turned into a hub for infiltrators engaged in illegal fishing activities inside Kuwait Bay. The workers were reportedly absent from their official sponsors and were using the facility to conduct unlicensed and damaging fishing operations.

Investigations revealed that the group had been targeting the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Nature Reserve, cutting through protective fishing nets to gain entry. They used off-road motorcycles (known locally as Buggies) to move within the reserve and access restricted fishing areas. The workers carried equipment to catch fish and shrimp, and after completing their operations, they resealed the damaged nets with iron wire in an attempt to conceal their actions.

Authorities stated that the catch was sorted at the camp before being loaded into a vehicle owned by a restaurant registered in the name of the officer who owned the camp. During the arrests, officials also seized 20 sets of fishing equipment.

The Ministry of Interior emphasized that no one is above the law, pledging strict enforcement against all violators. The 12 workers will be administratively deported, while legal proceedings will be initiated against their sponsors. In addition, companies found to be in violation will face permanent closure.

The officer who facilitated the illegal activities will be referred to the competent authorities for disciplinary and administrative action. He has also been ordered to dismantle the camp at his own expense.

The Ministry reaffirmed that these measures are intended to uphold the authority of the law and deter anyone from abusing their position, power, or influence to cover up violations. Safeguarding Kuwait’s security and natural resources, it stressed, is a national responsibility that cannot be compromised.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 17: The Misdemeanor Court acquitted former Director General of the Public Authority for Sports, Hamoud Fulaitah, of charges related to causing damage to public funds. Lawyer Bashar Al-Nassar stated that the ruling affirms the soundness of Fulaitah’s legal position, noting that the fair and impartial Kuwaiti judiciary acquitted him after a thorough review of the case’s facts. He added that the documents clearly showed the case lacked any criminal suspicion. Meanwhile, the courts on Tuesday deliberated on a series of high-profile cases related to violating the National Unity Law and inciting sectarian strife, involving public figures and social media activists.

The Criminal Court decided to postpone the hearing in the case of Sheikh Salem Al-Tawil, who is accused of violating the National Unity Law, until October 13, based on statements attributed to him in December 2024.

In another case, the same court reviewed cases related to joining Hizb ut-Tahrir and financing its activities. In one of these cases, the court sentenced a citizen to five years in prison for financing and joining the party, as well as insulting Jordan, Egypt and Syria. The court is expected to issue its verdict on Sept 29 against the citizen’s brother, who is accused in a similar case — joining and financing the party, in addition to insulting friendly Arab countries. The court adjourned until Sept 29 the hearing on the case of Dr. Abdul-Mutalib Behbehani. This case stems from his tweets during the Ashura commemoration, after he denied in court the charge of inciting sectarian strife.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals will issue its ruling on Sept 22 in the case of writer Aisha Al-Rasheed, who appealed a Criminal Court ruling that fined her KD50,000 for inciting sectarian strife and insulting Shiite citizens. Also, the Court of Appeals established an important judicial principle, stating that “a general warrant does not justify arresting anyone other than the accused for whom the search warrant is issued.”

Accordingly, the court overturned the prison sentence imposed on a man accused of drug trafficking and abuse, and acquitted him after he was arrested merely for being in the company of the person subject to the warrant. The court emphasized in its ruling that the presence of the second accused alongside the first accused, who was the actual target of the search, did not constitute serious evidence of complicity or assistance in possessing the seized items. It clarified that the warrant granted to the officer was broad and vague, and did not permit the arrest and search of anyone accompanying the person authorized to be searched without solid evidence of involvement.

The court pointed out that the first defendant’s statements, which attempted to attribute the seized items to the second defendant, lacked credibility and could not be relied upon, particularly since the latter had consistently maintained his denial from the start of the investigation. Moreover, the toxicology report confirmed that his sample was free of any prohibited substances, definitively ruling out his connection to the seized items. The court also observed that his admission to using shabu five days prior to his arrest pertained to a different incident, and therefore, could not be considered evidence of guilt in the present case. Attorney Abdul Mohsen Al-Qattan, who represented the defendants in court, argued that the arrest and search procedures, as well as the confessions based on them, are invalid. He requested for his clients’ acquittal – a request the court granted in its ruling.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff