KUWAIT CITY, May 10: A civilian employee working at a Kuwaiti port has been referred to the Public Prosecution by the Criminal Security Sector for allegedly facilitating the illegal departure of individuals who were legally banned from leaving the country. The accused reportedly accepted payments of KD 500 in exchange for using his position to smuggle wanted persons out of Kuwait.

According to a security source, detectives received credible intelligence that the employee was routinely assisting individuals facing travel bans. To confirm the allegations, authorities deployed an undercover source who was himself banned from travel. The source contacted the suspect, who then used his position to enable the source’s passage through the port—providing authorities with the evidence they needed to arrest him.

Upon his arrest and during interrogation, the accused admitted to the charges. He claimed that his actions were driven by humanitarian motives and expressed confidence that those he helped would eventually return to the country. Despite his justification, officials consider his conduct a serious breach of duty and national security.

The source emphasized that the Ministry of Interior, through the Criminal Security Sector, remains vigilant against any misuse of public office and is committed to taking firm action against those who undermine the law.

The Public Prosecution is continuing its investigation and is expected to summon individuals who benefited from the illegal travel arrangements facilitated by the accused. An inventory of all those who were aided in bypassing travel restrictions is currently underway.

KUWAIT CITY, May 10: The Court of First Instance has ordered the State Ministry of Housing to retroactively and continuously reimburse a rent allowance of KD11,300 to a citizen who previously replaced and waived his housing application multiple times. In a landmark ruling, the court clarified that the criterion for suspending the rent allowance is not merely the allocation of a housing plot, but rather the completion of the construction period or the connection of electricity.

Details of a lawsuit filed by Attorney Abdul Mohsen Al-Qattan indicated that the plaintiff was allocated a new plot in Al-Mutlaa on May 4, 2023. However, as construction had not yet been completed and electricity was not connected (conditions required for halting the rent allowance ), he remained entitled to receive the allowance.

The administrative authority’s decision to stop the payments and demand repayment for that period was deemed erroneous. The court ruled that the ministry must return the deducted amount and resume payment, as the plaintiff submitted a new housing application and had not yet benefited from the allocated plot. The judgment further stated that rent allowances must be reinstated for all individuals whose payments were previously suspended due to substitution or waiver of alternative housing, starting from the month following the implementation of the relevant regulation.

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

Kuwait Fire Force team at the scene.

KUWAIT CITY, May 10: Firefighters successfully brought a basement fire under control at a printing press in the Shuwaikh Industrial Area on Saturday morning, according to the Kuwait Fire Force.

Teams from the Shuwaikh Industrial and Al-Shaheed fire stations responded promptly to the incident. Upon arrival, they launched firefighting operations to suppress the blaze and prevent it from spreading beyond the basement level.

Authorities confirmed that no serious injuries were reported as a result of the fire.