Money laundering issue tied to Indian nurses to be probed
Al-Jabri forms panel to audit municipal budgets
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 30: The Anti-Corruption Public Authority (ACPA) will soon start investigating the money laundering issue concerning Indian nurses, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources.
Sources affirmed that ACPA has taken the necessary measures such as addressing the foreign affairs minister, asking him to demand for information from the Indian Embassy to pave way for the investigation of the issue. Sources said the authority intends to coordinate with the relevant Indian authorities in this regard.
Sources disclosed ACPA receives and investigates all complaints and calls about corruption cases in a bid to uncover the truth. Sources pointed out the decree on establishing ACPA stipulates the need to abide by the confidentiality code in order to maintain anonymity of callers, witnesses and experts.
Sources said the Indian judiciary has been handling the Indian nurses’ financial transfer case since August 2015 and it involves the owner of an Indian manpower agency who was referred to the Public Prosecution in India. He has been accused of charging exorbitant fees — 100 times more than the actual cost — for Indian nurses who want to work in Kuwait and other countries. These fees were transferred to his account from different countries including Kuwait, sources added.
Meanwhile, Indian daily, ‘The Hindu’, quoted a source from the central investigation office as saying that they managed to confirm the involvement of Kuwaiti officials in the case and they affirmed their willingness to investigate them.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Municipal Affairs and Minister of Awqaf Kuwait Football Federation (KFF) recently held an extraordinary general assembly where members amended an aspect of the constitution with the majority of 13 clubs. Al-Qadsiya Club was the only dissenting voice. The meeting, which was held inside the federation’s headquarters, had in attendance the representatives of 14 clubs. The amendment was an addition to Article 74 of the proposed by Al-Salmiya Club, stipulating ‘in case sporting activity is suspended and the board is unable to manage the federation that calls for legal intervention, the general assembly is authorized to take necessary steps toward fixing the vacuum’. It added ‘this shall be done by removing the board and replacing them with a transition committee to manage affairs of the federation for a period to be specified by the general
assembly, which is renewable’.
and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri has formed a specialized technical committee to audit the municipal budgets, and identify and eliminate the causes for wastage of funds. This step is in line with government’s general policy to rationalize expenditures and curb the squandering of public funds, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
The team produced several recommendations, most notably the rationalization of subsidies and realigning them while ensuring they reach the intended beneficiaries, especially in the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and
Fish Resources, as well as suspending unimportant maintenance contracts.
The recommendations also included stopping all extensions and variation orders for tenders in all affiliates except for important projects, and reducing official external missions by the affiliates to participate in many conferences, seminars and various events. Minister Al-Jabri affirmed that his policy is line with that of the government, provided that it does not affect the workflow of the affiliates and improve their performance in offering better services.