Minister refers officials to anti-corruption authority

Social affairs Minister dismisses director

KUWAIT: Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy and Acting Minister of Public Works, Jassem Al-Ostad, referred two officials from the ministry to the public authority for anti-corruption (Nazaha) on suspicions of corruption. The ministry told KUNA in a statement that the investigative committee, established by Al-Ostad immediately after these violations came to light, proved that “it caused damage to many civilians and other parties.” An investigation proved that the two deliberately disrupted tenders related to electricity and damaged electricity connected to civilian homes and other public projects.

According to the statement, “the deliberate disruption of tenders forced people to buy their own cables, further making them sign pledges to never demand compensation from the ministry,” negatively affecting the ministry’s reputation with claims of incompetence. In the previous months, Al-Ostad referred a number of officials in government bodies under his supervision to the public prosecution and Nazaha for suspicions of corruption and misappropriation of public money.

Director fired

In another development, the Minister of Social Affairs, Sheikh Firas Al-Malik Al-Sabah, issued a ministerial decision to dismiss the director of the Union of Consumer Cooperative Associations, Abdulwahab Al-Fares, and refer him to the Public Authority for Combating Corruption, “Nazaha.”

A final report submitted to the impartial investigation committee confirmed manipulation and fraudulent activities. The Director General of the Union has been assigned to handle urgent matters until after the elections of the Union, which are scheduled for next Wednesday. The minister rejected the “protest” resignation submitted by the head of the Union of Cooperatives.