Latest news with #KD400
Arab Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
High-Profile Trial Over KD615,000 Adjourned
KUWAIT CITY, June 25: The Ministerial Court postponed the trial of former Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al- Fahad until Sept 9 to listen to the defense witnesses. It also upheld the decision of the Investigation Committee to dismiss the complaint filed against Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad, accusing him of interfering in the National Assembly elections. The committee previously dismissed the complaint filed by the Financial Investigation Unit, which accused Sheikh Ahmad Al- Fahad of interfering in the legislative elections by disbursing money. During its session on Tuesday, the court listened to the testimonies of the detective in charge of the investigations, as well as two Ministry of Defense employees. This is part of the ongoing hearing of evidence and testimonies that may shed light on the facts of the complaint and the suspicions raised about the mechanism for disbursing the disputed sum. According to the Ministry of Defense, the incidents are related to the suspected illegal disbursements of funds during Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad's tenure as minister. This prompted the filing of the case at the Ministerial Court. The court questioned Sheikh Ahmad Al- Fahad about the charges that include embezzling KD400,000 of public funds; illegally acquiring KD215,000; purchasing six vehicles using money taken from the ministry's account; and submitting two declarations of liability to the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) without disclosing the ownership of the vehicles.
Gulf Insider
27-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Mulls Raising Government Fees On 10,000 Services
Kuwait is considering a major revision of fees across more than 10,000 government services in a move aimed at boosting fiscal sustainability and strengthening non-oil revenues. The proposal, discussed at a high-level meeting at the National Library Theater, follows a Cabinet directive to reassess cost recovery mechanisms throughout the public sector. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Ministry of Finance presented a detailed review estimating that the potential fee adjustments could generate KD400 million ($1.3 billion) to KD 500 million annually for the state treasury. The proposed changes would cover a broad spectrum of services, ranging from the issuance of official certificates to the provision of public utilities. The Ministry outlined a three-pillar framework for the reassessment: Calculating the actual cost of service delivery, setting appropriate adjustment margins based on service type and importance, and evaluating the social impact to ensure affordability and equity. Each government entity has been instructed to conduct its own cost review and submit recommendations to the Ministry of Finance. These findings will be consolidated and presented to the Council of Ministers for final approval. While boosting non-oil income is a core goal, officials have stressed that maintaining access to essential services and preserving social balance will guide the final decision.
Gulf Insider
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait: Expat Jailed For 7 Years Over Air Ticket Embezzlement
A Kuwaiti court has sentenced an expatriate airline employee to seven years in prison on charges of embezzlement, in one of the latest corruption cases uncovered in the country. The Criminal Court also ordered the defendant, a ticket sales officer at the national carrier, Kuwait Airways, to pay a fine of KD56,000 (around $182,600) and be dismissed from his job for having pocketed 18,000 dinars in ticket change fees over a five-year period. The defendant's nationality was not disclosed. The case surfaced after the airline had filed a legal complaint against the man whose nationality was not revealed, according to media reports. In recent years, Kuwait has stepped up anti-corruption efforts and issued varying jail sentences to defendants in high-profile cases. Last week, Kuwait's top appeals court sentenced an ex-government minister to two years in prison on corruption charges in a final ruling. The Court of Cassation also ordered ex-minister Mubarak Al Harees to pay a fine of KD566,000 in the same case and barred him from holding any public office on charges of power abuse and making illicit gains. Last October, a Kuwaiti court, tasked with hearing cases involving government officials, sentenced Al Harees to four years in prison, fined him KD400,000 and ruled he be barred from holding any public post. He appealed against the ruling. Al Harees once served as minister of services affairs and parliamentary affairs. Al Harees, now 61, was charged with influence peddling when he was a minister by obtaining a decision from authorities to change the designation of two plots of industrial land from a craft activity to a commercial service in return for KD50,000.
