19 detained in Kuwait as corruption scandal rocks cooperative societies

Corruption network involving cooperative societies and companies busted in Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY, July 22: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior (MoI), through its Criminal Security Sector, announced on Tuesday the arrest of a corruption network involving multiple members of the Union of Cooperative Societies, a cooperative society’s board member, six commercial companies, and 14 brokers and employees.

According to a statement from the MoI’s Public Relations and Security Media Department, investigations uncovered clear evidence that several members received bribes from commercial companies. These payments were made in exchange for promoting the companies’ products and granting them preferential treatment within the cooperatives, actions that violate official regulations.

The statement further revealed that several brokers responsible for handling and transferring the illicit funds were also detained. Upon interrogation, all suspects admitted to their involvement in the corrupt activities.

A total of 19 suspects were arrested across two separate cases, including four members of the Union of Cooperative Societies, one cooperative society board member, three brokers acting as intermediaries between companies and cooperative members, two employees of the Union and cooperative societies, and nine employees from the implicated commercial companies.

The Ministry confirmed that it has taken all necessary legal actions against the suspects and referred the case to the relevant judicial authorities. It reiterated its strong commitment to tackling any violations that compromise the integrity of cooperative operations.