Hearing in ambulances tender bribery case to be held Dec 22

Top officials in KD 3.7 mln embezzlement

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 25: The Criminal Court adjourned to December 22, 2019 the ‘ambulances tender bribery’ case in which a businessman (former senior official at the Central Agency for Public Tenders) and a sales manager at an automobile company are standing trial.

The court adjourned the case to summon the accused and to allow payment of the fees to the concerned official body (plaintiff) represented by Fatwa and Legislation Committee.

Earlier, the Public Prosecution referred the observations of Anti-corruption Authority about the bribery in tender awarded for the provision of ambulances to Ministry of Health, indicating the first accused (former deputy head of tenders committee) was promised a gift of three cars valued at KD148 thousand by the winning automobile agency, while the bribe was paid by the second accused through the third accused.

The case file affirms that the first accused was asked to violate laws and approve Ministry of Health’s request for direct purchase of ambulances from the company and also endorse the approval of members of the Board of Directors of the Central Agency for Public Tenders without any representative from the Health Ministry. The first accused received the gift of three cars, which have since been registered under his wife’s name upon accomplishing the task.

Spokesperson of Anti-corruption Authority Dr Muhammad Bouzbar said the illegal deal is estimated at KD3.7 million.