Kuwait to scrutinize draws since 2015 in escalating ‘Ya Hala' saga
KUWAIT CITY, March 27: The Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Abdullah Al-Ajeel Al-Askar Wednesday briefed the Cabinet on the measures taken by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry regarding the controversial draw during the shopping festival, reports Al-Seyassah Daily. He said the case has been referred to the Public Prosecution, along with information on some suspicious activities during the draw. Al-Askar affirmed the ministry's keenness to apply the law in coordination with security authorities, and pledged to take all necessary steps to assure consumers. In response, the Cabinet expressed its full support for Minister Al-Askar's legal actions and stressed the importance of enforcing the law against any offenders.
In the latest development, the Commerce Ministry's truth-seeking committee said on Thursday that draws of banks and commercial enterprises, dating back to 2015, would be scrutinized to determine their lawfulness. The head of the committee Adnan Abol told KUNA that the date of scrutiny might be stretched back depending on the evidence and legal process. He revealed that an online platform would be launched for the public to receive complaints and information regarding any suspicious activities in a step to enhance transparency and fairness.
A name-list of individuals supervising the draws is being prepared as part of the current measures, he affirmed, adding that any person suspected of foul play would be sent to competent authorities for investigation. Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution ordered the detention of a citizen and five residents after extensive investigations into their involvement in serious crimes, such as the forgery of official documents, bribery of a public employee, facilitating the theft of state-owned funds, money laundering, and other major offenses that have caused huge harm to the country's national interests. These actions come amid circulating reports on social media regarding the involvement of a representative from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, who oversaw the raffles for the Kuwait Shopping Festival 'Ya Hala'.
Investigations revealed that the official exploited his position to manipulate the weekly raffles for prizes sponsored by the festival. He worked in collaboration with several other defendants, some of whom fled the country immediately after their involvement was exposed. In an exceptional move, the Public Prosecutor instructed the formation of an integrated investigation team, which began working immediately after the case was discovered, in close coordination with the relevant authorities at the Ministry of Interior. The Public Prosecution issued arrest and search warrants for six suspects, as well as three international arrest warrants for others who fled the country. Their names have been added to international wanted lists for prosecution and extradition to Kuwait for further investigation.
During the searches of the suspects' residences and vehicles, large quantities of valuables were seized, including gold bracelets, necklaces, watches, luxury pens, and huge sums of cash believed to be linked to the crimes. Documents, laptops, and mobile phones were also confiscated, containing conclusive evidence of fraud and forgery related to the free draws at the Kuwait Shopping Festival 'Ya Hala' as well as previous draws involving other companies. To ensure full control over the case's evidence, the Public Prosecution issued orders to seize all funds of the defendants deposited in local and international banks, as well as to inquire about their accounts and financial transactions. It also instructed exchange companies to provide detailed records of the defendants' financial activities.
In addition, the seized computers and mobile phones were sent to the General Department of Criminal Evidence's Cyber Crimes Division for examination and analysis, followed by the submission of comprehensive and accurate reports on their contents and implications. The Public Prosecution is expediting its investigations, and summoning relevant employees from various government agencies for questioning on all aspects of the case. Investigations have also expanded to include other incidents confessed by the defendants, with new leads emerging and the investigation continuing to grow to potentially involve additional perpetrators.
Representing several citizens and residents who participated in the Ya Hala Shopping Festival raffles, Lawyer Mohammed Al-Jassim says the manipulation of the raffles has damaged the reputation of the organizing entities and harmed the financial and moral interests of individuals and companies that adhered to all the announced conditions. He insisted that urgent action by the judicial authorities is necessary, including an immediate order to freeze the bank accounts of all defendants involved in the case. Lawyer Al-Jassim also called for contacting the General Department of Criminal Investigation to obtain a list of all bank transfers, both incoming and outgoing, to and from the defendants' accounts during the investigation period. He said these transfers should be analyzed and cross-checked with the names of previous raffle winners to assess any potential financial connections or direct relationships with the defendants.
Lawyer Al-Jassim requested a comprehensive list of all raffles conducted by the employees of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, including the dates of each transaction, to crosscheck the winners' names for any potential repetition or manipulation. He further requested the records of incoming and outgoing calls of all defendants during the relevant periods, to be compared with the names of the winners and participants. Lawyer Al-Jassim also called for an extensive investigation into everyone with the authority or responsibility to select names in raffles, recruitment, or other competitions. He emphasized the need for an investigation into the crime of bribery, highlighting that the crime involves obtaining financial benefits through fraud and manipulation, often disguised as a 'prize.' Lawyer Al-Jassim explained that the sale or disposal of these prizes indicates the crime of money laundering and warrants investigation by the State Security and Anti-Money Laundering Department. This includes tracing the origin of the prizes obtained through fraud and determining whether they were used to conceal or transfer illicit funds.
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