Connect with us

Latest News

Sheikh Ahmad deposits cheque for alleged graft

Published

on

KUWAIT: The special ministers’ trial court on Tuesday postponed the second hearing in the trial of former defense minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah to June 24 to hear the testimonies of witnesses. The first hearing was held three weeks ago, during which Sheikh Ahmad denied corruption charges that he misappropriated around KD 400,000 for personal use from the ministry’s secret funds.

During Tuesday’s session, Sheikh Ahmad deposited to the court a cheque in the value of the alleged graft amount, while his lawyer demanded details of secret funds spent in the defense ministry since 1962 until he was appointed to the post. Sheikh Ahmad was charged by the court of using the KD 400,000 to purchase vehicles and watches for his personal use when he was minister of defense between June 2023 and January the next year.

The court also postponed another case to the same date in which the public prosecution challenged a decision by a special investigation committee to shelve other charges against Sheikh Ahmad that he interfered in parliamentary elections. Sheikh Ahmad, 61, had occupied several ministerial posts in the past 25 years, starting with energy minister, information minister, minister for development and economic affairs and others. He also occupied senior international sports posts.

He is the second prominent minister of the previous government to be tried on graft charges. Four months ago, the same court sentenced former interior and defense minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah to 14 years in jail after convicting him of misappropriation of public funds. The court convicted him of embezzling KD 9.5 million from the ministry of defense and KD 500,000 from the interior ministry. The court ordered Sheikh Talal to return KD 10 million to the two ministries and fined him KD 20 million.

Sheikh Talal has challenged the sentence to the court of cassation, the top court in the country. In recent years, Kuwaiti courts have jailed several ministers and senior officials over corruption cases and ordered them to repay embezzled funds.

Latest News

Kuwait, UAE team up in drug bust

Published

on

By

PACI employee arrested for forging addresses for bribes • More citizenships revoked

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti security men busted an attempt to smuggle a large drugs haul with a street value estimated at KD 1.5 million, with the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates’ interior ministry, a statement announced on Thursday. The haul consisted of 10 kg of heroin and 100 kg of shabu, an illegal chemical substance, and was destined for an Afghan man who was arrested, the interior ministry said.

Through security cooperation with the UAE, the Kuwaiti authorities received information of the shipment that was due to arrive at Shuwaikh Port and belonged to an organized international network. The container was allowed to leave the port by customs men and the receiver, an Afghan man, was arrested at Amghara industrial area, west of Kuwait City.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah thanked the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Emirati officials for the cooperation that led to the huge bust, stressing the importance of continued security coordination. The minister reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to countering the drug threat and safeguarding national security through local and international partnerships.

Separately, the interior ministry announced on Thursday the arrest of an employee working at the Public Authority for Civil Information on charges of forging official documents and accepting bribes. The ministry said the bust followed information and coordination with officials from the civil information authority, revealing the suspect had exploited his job authority to access the electronic system and change residents’ addresses without their presence or submission of official documents, in violation of established regulations.

Investigations revealed that the suspect had added fake addresses in exchange for payments of up to KD 120 per transaction, abusing his position for illicit gain. He was found to have processed over 5,000 transactions since the beginning of this year in collaboration with a number of middlemen inside and outside Kuwait.

Two middlemen were arrested, along with seven individuals who had paid money to complete their transactions. The suspect was found to have used the illicit proceeds to purchase jewelry, gold bars and luxury items in an attempt to conceal the source of the funds. The suspects and the seized items were referred to the public prosecution for legal action.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry said on Thursday that the Supreme Commission for Nationality has decided to revoke the citizenship of an unspecified number of people for a variety of reasons. The ministry said in a statement that the citizenships were revoked because holders held citizenship of a third country, banned under Kuwaiti law, while others held citizenships that were obtained through false information and forgery.

Some other citizenships were revoked for the sake of the country’s national interests and others because holders violated their loyalty to the country. The ministry gave no details about the numbers. The commission has in the past 15 months stripped over 37,000 people of their Kuwaiti citizenship, about 29,000 of them were foreign women who became Kuwaitis after getting married to Kuwaiti men.

Continue Reading

Latest News

5-week program aims to prepare Kuwaiti youth for employment

Published

on

By


5-week program aims to prepare Kuwaiti youth for employment

Continue Reading

Latest News

KRCS, WHO discuss cooperation in health and training fields

Published

on

By

KUWAIT: Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Vice Chairman Dr Nasser Al-Tannak affirmed the importance of enhancing cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) across various health and training sectors, particularly in light of growing global health challenges. Speaking to KUNA following a meeting with WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Kuwait Dr Asad Hafeez, Al-Tannak revealed that KRCS is working towards signing a memorandum of understanding with the WHO’s Kuwait office.

The agreement will cover key areas including mental health, risk awareness, addiction prevention, and the development of specialized training programs. Al-Tannak noted that the KRCS Board of Directors is committed to advancing a comprehensive strategy for training employees and volunteers in accordance with international standards. This initiative aims to enhance their capabilities, particularly in emergency and disaster response operations.

He emphasized that this approach reflects the Society’s vision of building a well-qualified humanitarian workforce, capable of responding swiftly and effectively to humanitarian calls worldwide. He added that KRCS stands as a distinguished example of institutional humanitarian work in the region. During the meeting, WHO officials were briefed on the Society’s wide-ranging efforts in relief, healthcare, development, and humanitarian assistance, as well as its community-driven initiatives and key achievements over the past year. These accomplishments, he said, mark a qualitative leap in KRCS operations and reaffirm its unwavering commitment to serving humanity.

For his part, Dr Hafeez commended the Kuwait Red Crescent Society’s role in conducting awareness campaigns and offering psychological and social support. He also praised the Society’s work in strengthening volunteer capabilities to manage health emergencies. Dr Hafeez stressed the significance of continued collaboration to enhance readiness and response to health crises both in Kuwait and the broader region, noting KRCS’s extensive experience and high credibility in the fields of humanitarian, relief, and public health work. — KUNA

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 SKUWAIT.COM .