Measure aims to stave off 'negative impact' of reporting on probe, national interests
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Kuwait’s prosecutors have ordered the remand of a Kuwaiti citizen and five expatriates for suspected involvement in a raffle draw fraud.
Kuwait’s prosecutors have ordered the remand of a Kuwaiti citizen and five expatriates for suspected involvement in a raffle draw fraud.
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Cairo: Kuwait's chief prosecutor has ordered a ban on reporting about confidential investigations into a high-profile raffle draw manipulation case that has rocked the country.
The ban was imposed to head off the "negative impact" of reports in the media and on social media on the course of the inquiry or harming the country's national interests, according to the Kuwaiti public prosecution.
The ban also comes out of keenness to "avoid harms to persons and entities before conviction is proven," it added in a statement.
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The prosecution said it will update the media on the findings once the investigations are completed.
The case erupted in public last week after a video circulated on social media showing a person apparently manipulating the draw.
The Interior Ministry identified the person in the footage as a Kuwaiti citizen acting as the head of the draws department at the Ministry of Commerce.
Investigations found out that he had exploited his position to systematically manipulate draws for prizes offered by companies, thus ensuring they will go to specific persons in exchange for financial benefits, the ministry said.
The public prosecution earlier said intensive investigations had revealed six people, including five expatriates, had been involved in "serious crimes" including forging official documents, bribery, facilitating the seizure of state funds and money laundering causing "a significant harm" to the country's national interests.
Cache of valuables
The prosecution added that it has issued several arrest and search warrants for six suspects and three international arrest warrants for other suspects who had fled the country.
Searching the suspects' residences yielded a cache of valuables, including gold bracelets and necklaces, watches, luxury pens, and cash, suspected of being linked to the fraud at the centre of the inquiry, prosecutors have said.
In addition, documents, laptops, and mobile phones were seized, containing conclusive evidence of manipulation and forgery related to the raffle draws.
The public prosecution said it had ordered a freeze of the suspects' deposits in local and international banks, inquiring about their accounts and financial transfers, and requesting forex companies to provide detailed statements of their financial transactions.