ShareKUWAIT: The criminal court adjourned a case in which a number of former interior ministry officials face embezzlement charges until May 12, while refusing to release the suspects. During a court session yesterday for the case publicly known as the 'interior ministry hospitality scandal', a former senior ministry official offered to pay KD 10 million, which is the amount he is accused of embezzling, to be released until the case is decided. His offer was denied, however. The public prosecution also presented its case. Deputy Director of the Financial Prosecution Humoud Al-Shami said the suspects are bringing out the dark side of the case and this similar to Archimedes' trick, because the embezzled amount is much larger than the offered amount.
Missing boys found
Two Kuwaiti young men who were reported missing recently were found in good condition yesterday. A security source said Kuwaiti youths Adnan Al-Kharafi and Fahd Al-Alyan are being returned home after procedures are completed, adding that concerned authorities in Kuwait are coordinating with their counterparts in Iran to bring them back. The source had said earlier that a search was on for the two missing men after the father of one of them said his son and friend did not return from a fishing trip.
Waiting for approval
A senior Public Authority for Manpower official said that a memorandum of understanding signed (MoU) between Kuwait and Egypt to complete the automated link to bring in Egyptian workers is awaiting the council of ministers' approval to go into effect. Meanwhile, Deputy Director for the Manpower and Financial Sector Affairs Sultan Al-Shaalani said the new labor services building will open soon in Ahmadi governorate. Furthermore, Shaalani denied any problem in differentiation between employees, based on which vacant supervisory jobs are made permanent. He said the authority is completing the differentiation from all aspects between its employees, while complying with laws, decisions and circulars issued by the diwan. About the total number of authority employees after completing the merger with the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program, he said they number 2,772 employees of both genders. He said as for supervisory jobs, there are 31 managers, 81 supervisors and 248 heads of departments. He said by attaching the domestic help department to the authority from the interior ministry, the number of supervisors became 83 with 253 heads of departments.
No price increase
Head of Kuwait Farmers Union Abdullah Al-Dammak assured consumers that most agricultural products will not see price increases before Ramadan. He said stability of prices increases as production increases, besides achieving food security year round, adding that the union stands by any legitimate demands by farmers and works on fulfilling them in cooperation and coordination with concerned government authorities. He said the heaps of tomatoes seen on social media on the side of a Wafra road were not fit for consumption and no one accepted to deal with them. Dammak said crops are witnessing their best production periods in Abdaly, Wafra and Sulaibiya farms. He said the price of a 7-kg grade one tomato box is 300 fils in auctions, while grade two is sold for 150-200 fils, while grade three is not dealt with because its quality cannot be guaranteed. He said the increase in crop production is due to an increase in green cover in the north and south of the country, especially since the number of greenhouses has reached 60,000, while it was 15,000 in 2016.
Insurance companies suspended
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued six decisions in which it suspended six insurance companies for three months or until the violations are removed, whichever comes first. The decisions said in the second item of each that polices already issued by the companies remain valid. The third item says the companies will continue making compensation payments and other dues.
By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi
