Day of Lawsuits Over Corruption Scandals Continued from Page 1 Former Top Officials

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014

SHAABAN 19, 1435 AH

www.kuwaittimes.net

Prices at Mubarakiya Market
Israel expands hunt for missing teens, kills
UK issues dire warning on washing chicken
Spurs beat Heat to win ﬁfth

NBA title

remain stable

Palestinian

3

8 28 17

Day of lawsuits over corruption scandals

Max 44º Min 27º High Tide

02:38 & 13:12

Low Tide

MPs demand debate on developments in Iraq

07:57 & 20:50

By Staﬀ Reporter

KUWAIT: The premier yesterday submitted a letter to the attorney general asking him to investigate alleged financial and political scandals that have rocked the country, as the government plans to sue the opposition over accusations regarding the highly sensitive issue. The Audit Bureau has also started a separate investigation, while the recently-established Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority said it will launch an investigation into corruption allegations that undermine the country’s order.
The new developments came following last week’s public rally during which leading opposition figures claimed that former senior officials stole around $50 billion from public funds and deposited them in foreign banks, including one in Israel.

Dust storm closes ports

KUWAIT: Operations at Kuwait’s three ports were halted yesterday due to bad weather, the state news agency KUNA said, and an oil source said the OPEC member has suspended receiving ships at the country’s oil ports. “Maritime traffic in the three ports Shuaiba, Shuwaikh and Doha were halted due to the current dust storm,” KUNA reported citing the ports authority. Kuwait produces around 3 million barrels of crude per day.
Director of Sea Operations at Shuwaikh Port Capt
Marzouq Al-Qahtani told KUNA operations were stopped for safety reasons after wind speed reached 36-40 nautical knots and horizontal visibility dropped lower than 1.5 nautical miles. According to rules of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), navigation must be halted when visibility drops lower than three nautical miles. A ship ordered to stay off the harbor will be allowed in once the weather conditions improve, while three ships sailed out.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah, who was the first to uncover the alleged conspiracy videotapes, yesterday filed through his lawyer Falah Al-Hajraf a lawsuit to the attorney general against two high-ranking former officials. Sheikh Ahmad made more sensitive accusations during a television interview late Saturday, prompting Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah to submit a letter yesterday morning asking the attorney general to investigate the claims made in the interview.
State Minister for Cabinet Affairs and acting justice minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said the letter was backed with all the documents available with the government including those received by the prime minister from the“political leadership”.
Capt Faraj Al-Saeed, in charge of maritime operations at Shuaiba port, told KUNA wind speed at the harbor exceeded 40 nautical knots and visibility dropped lower than one nautical mile. — Agencies

KUWAIT: Falah Al-Hajraf, lawyer of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah, answers journalists’ questions as he leaves the courthouse after ﬁling a lawsuit yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat
Continued on Page 15

Saudis, Qatar blame ‘sectarian’ Maliki

US open to working with Iran over Iraq

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Qatar have northern and north-central Iraq, although blamed “sectarian” policies by Iraq’s Shiite- their advance has since been slowed.

led government against the Sunni Arab

Saudi Arabia, which shares long borders

Gulf billions insulate economies, markets

minority for the unrest that has swept the with Iraq, urged the swift formation of a country. Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia, national consensus government to work to whose relations with the government of “reinstate security and stability”. The unrest Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki have been “could not have taken place if it was not for strained, also warned against foreign inter- the sectarian and exclusionary policies vention in Iraq. In March, Maliki accused implemented in Iraq over the past years both Saudi Arabia and Qatar of supporting that threatened its stability and sovereignterrorism in Iraq. Militants, spearheaded by ty,” the government said in a statement. It the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the underlined the need for the “participation Levant (ISIL) and joined by supporters of of all components of the Iraqi people in executed dictator Saddam Hussein, have in determining the future”of the country.

DUBAI: For years, the rich oil states of the the politics around it,” said Jason Tuvey, Gulf have struggled to insulate them- Middle East economist at Capital selves from political turbulence in the rest Economics, a London-based consultancy. of their volatile region. Markets’ reaction He added that apart from Saudi Arabia’s to the insurgency in Iraq suggest they Eastern Province, which has seen some may ﬁnally have succeeded. Saudi Arabia low-level unrest among its Shi’ite minoriand Kuwait face the potential disintegra- ty, it was diﬃcult to see how events in tion of a country on their borders. At the Iraq could have any direct impact on Gulf very least, the turmoil in Iraq looks set to states. If there is any impact, governwiden the Sunni-Shiite divide which has ments have the monetary and security

the past week overrun a large chunk of

poisoned politics across the region.
But in contrast to past episodes of resources to deal with it, he added.
The region has been buffeted by a instability in the Middle East, the Gulf’s string of geopolitical shocks since early financial markets are mostly reacting 2011, when revolutions in Egypt and othcalmly. Foreign investors have continued er Arab states briefly raised the possibilito plough hundreds of millions of dollars ty of similar unrest within the Gulf. Fiveinto Gulf bonds. There have been no year Saudi Arabian credit default swaps - signs of pressure on Gulf currencies’ pegs which insure against the risk of a Saudi to the US dollar. Stock markets have sovereign debt default, and are therefore dropped, but traders largely see that as a an indicator of foreign investors’ jitters natural adjustment after big gains earlier about the Gulf - shot up to a peak of 140 this year, not a panicked response to basis points in Feb 2011. They rocketed

geopolitical risk.

back to that level in early 2012, as inter-

The calm reﬂects the Gulf’s progress national tensions over Iran’s nuclear proin building up its ﬁnancial resources on gram rose. A smaller spike occurred in the back of high oil prices as a defence Aug 2013, as the United States threatagainst regional instability, as well as its ened to bomb Damascus over the use of success in containing domestic political chemical weapons.

fallout from the Arab Spring uprisings

This month, however, CDS have

over the past three years, economists stayed low, sliding to 37 bps last week, and fund managers said. “I think people the lowest level since early 2013.

MOSUL: Demonstrators chant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) slogans in front of the provincial government headquarters yesterday. — AP

now see the Gulf as well insulated from

in the

news

Al-Jazeera journalist

China executes 13

UAE to work with US to cut‘terror’ funding

on hunger strike freed

for Xinjiang attacks

BEIJING: China executed 13 people yesterday for “terrorist attacks” in the violence-wracked northwestern region of Xinjiang, state media said, as death sentences were issued over a suicide car crash at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The announcement by the official Xinhua news agency said the 13 were involved in seven different cases connected to Xinjiang, where Beijing says separatist militants are behind a string of attacks that have rocked China in recent months. Xinhua provided names of four of the executed without identifying them by their ethnicity, though some of the names appeared to be Uighur, a Turkic-speaking mainly Muslim group with cultural and linguistic links to Central Asia. The report identified two of the cases as taking place last year and resulting in more than two dozen deaths, including those of 24 police officers and ordinary citizens in Xinjiang’s Turpan Prefecture in June. The announcement came hours after state media said three people had been sentenced to die over the Tiananmen crash last October.
CAIRO: Egypt’s prosecutor general yesterday ordered the release of Al-Jazeera journalist Abdullah Elshamy, who has been on hunger strike for nearly five months, state media reported. Al-Jazeera swiftly issued a statement calling for the release of three other staff on trial in a separate case. The court in that trial said it would issue its verdict on June 23 against the three journalists accused of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. Elshamy, who works for the main Arabic-language channel of the Qatarbased network, was arrested on Aug 14 last year when police dispersed protest camps in Cairo set up by supporters of Morsi. “Prosecutor General Hesham Barakat ordered the release of 13 defendants... among them Abdullah Elshamy, a correspondent with Qatari channel Al-Jazeera, due to their health conditions,” the official MENA news agency reported. The military-installed authorities have been incensed by Al-Jazeera’s coverage of their crackdown on Morsi supporters.
ABU DHABI: The UAE and the United States agreed yesterday to cooperate to prevent “terrorist” groups from using the Gulf state’s finance sector, according to a statement from the US Treasury. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahayan agreed to cooperate more closely “to disrupt terrorist support networks” in talks in Abu Dhabi. They “stressed the importance of ensuring the United Arab Emirates’ financial system is closed off to the broad range of terrorist and criminal groups,” the statement said. The meeting comes as nine men stand trial in Abu Dhabi for allegedly forming “Al-Qaeda cell” accused of supporting Al-Nusra Front, the jihadist network’s Syrian affiliate. Among other charges, the men are accused of having “financed Al-Nusra Front,” state news agency WAM said. The officials also discussed improving economic ties between the countries, the Treasury statement said, as well as the situation in Iraq.

(Top) Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Group F World Cup match between Argentina and Bosnia Hercegovina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro late Sunday. (Above) Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Group G World Cup match between Germany and Portugal at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador yesterday. — AFP/AP (See Pages 19 & 20)

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014

LO C A L

Exams cheating increases with help from technology

Ministry investigation ongoing

KUWAIT: Acting Minister of

In spite of the ministry’s efforts to answers. Meanwhile, 12th grade stu-
Education Dr Abdul Mohsen Al- prevent cheating by smart phones dents of the arts department did the Mudej said that an investigation is and headsets, some reports suggest- same thing with the history test, ongoing to determine if a physics ed that many high school students according to unnamed sources.

final exam sheet for public high were able to break the anti-cheating

They added that the same

schools was leaked. The senior offi- measures and shared the answers of method was used by 11th grade stucial’s statements came in response to the mathematics, history, geography, dents during the biology and geogrumors on social media speculating and biology exams. that a large number of students had The ministry failed to prevent raphy tests.
Earlier reports had indicated that access to leaked model answers, and cheating as students were innova- several accounts appeared on social that teachers could be involved in tive and created new ways to cheat networks ahead of the exams, selling the scandal.
Minister Mudej could neither con- sources with knowledge of the case. firm nor deny the rumors, saying “ The students are organizing tiny earpieces that are hard to that the ministry is waiting for the themselves in groups, and contact- detect. The passing rate is expected results of an investigation. ing tutors during the exams who to increase in high schools because during the exams, said educational devices that could help students cheat, such as digital watches and

“Everything is going well,” Mudej sent them the answers to their smart of the high rate of cheating, the told reporters during a tour of two phones,” explained the sources who sources said. So far, the ministry local high schools Sunday. “We felt spoke to Al-Jarida on the condition announced that the passing rate in

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received, at Bayan Palace yesterday, Minister of Communications, Minister of State for Municipal Aﬀairs and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Civil Aviation (SCCA) Essa Ahmad Al-Kandari and SCCA board members on the occasion of the formation of the new board. In a separate meeting, the Amir received at Bayan Palace, Minister of Communications, who chairs the Board of Directors of Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA), Essa Ahmad Al-Kandari and KPA board members on the occasion of the formation of the new board.

that students were serious and stud- of anonymity.

physics was 80%, while five student

ied hard. We did not observe any Consequently, 12th grade stu- were kicked out of the exam for problems which could affect this dents of the scientific department cheating, which the sources say phase of their lives. We wish success shared pictures during the math could prove the theory that cheating

to all students.”

exam for a paper said to contain the using technology has happened.

TEC sponsors Kuwait Diving
Team efforts

KUWAIT: Out of keenness

on fulﬁlling its communal duties through taking part in all activities oriented to protecting Kuwait’s environment from pollution, the Touristic Enterprises Co. (TEC) recently took part in sponsoring Kuwait Diving Team projects designated to protect and rehabilitate Kuwait’s marine environment and stop pollution created by sea users through both raising public awareness

Sager Al-Bader

and removing wastes polluting marine life.
On this occasion, TEC’s acting PR and marketing manager, Sager Al-Bader stressed the signiﬁcance of TEC’s participation in such activities noting that TEC always provided moral and ﬁnancial support needed for all project that serve Kuwait’s public interest. He added that TEC also encourages voluntary work.

Kuwait to lift ban on Japan products

KUWAIT: Reliable sources said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will soon lift a ban on some Japanese products that were banned after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. They said the ban will be lifted after making sure about the safety of products entering the country.
They said that concerned authorities have banned certain products from countries with dangerous viruses that threaten public health, and products that have suspicions about their quality and validity.
The sources said there are strict restrictions on imports, as some business owners who aim at quick proﬁts bypass the law and bring in harmful products, but they are impounded before they reach consumers.
Meanwhile the countdown to select heads of departments in hospitals has begun, and it is supposed to be during July after the health ministry extended their tenure.
Informed health sources told Al-Anbaa said that all health zones sent their nominations to the ministry after it asked them to do so two weeks ago.
The sources said names of nominees to become heads of departments are now at the ministry and will be reviewed and decided upon soon. They said the change in heads of departments will be around 40 percent only.

New labor survey starts in October

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Aﬀairs and Labor’s assistant undersecretary for labor statistics Mona Al-Daas said that the ministry has been preparing to conduct a labor survey for six months that would be conducted according to the latest methodologies that match ILO recommendations.
She added that the three-month survey to be conducted from October would be preceded by an experimental poll from June 15-27 on a selected number of families.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a special ceremony held to honor labor statistics’employees who took part in a ﬁeld survey, Daas said the survey aims at having an accurate reading of the state’s manpower, which would positively help decision makers set policies the local labor market needs.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014

LO C A L

Photo of the day

KUWAIT: Camels graze in the desert oﬀ Salmi Road. — Photo by Chidi Emmanuel

Prices at Mubarakiya Market remain stable

Meat, fruit, vegetable sales increase 10

By Ben Garcia

traders noted an average 10 per- same,” said Ashraf, owner of a food and traditional Ramadan foods, has

cent increase in sales overall.

stall in Mubarakiya.

Souq Al-Mubarakiya is one of band. According to Ahmad date trader at also maintained a stable price

KUWAIT: As Ramadan draws near,

“For the last three months, the

prices of basic commodities prices of products here are the the most popular destinations for Ashkanani,

a

remained stable though overall same, but we have already noticed local produce, meats and especially Mubarakiya, “Dates are the only sales are on the rise. A survey of an increase in number of cus- spices during the holy month of food advised by the Prophet (pbuh) prices of meat, fruits and vegeta- tomers. There is no movement of Ramadan. Food consumption usu- to be taken on an empty stomach bles at Souq Al-Mubarakiya in prices, we have enough supply we ally doubles if not triples during right after the long day of fasting. Kuwait City yesterday indicated don’t expect a shortage. So even if Ramadan during the night after So the government here monitors that prices remained stable even as Ramadan comes, prices will be the most of the country fasts from us strictly. Just before Ramadan, we

dawn to dusk.

often welcome municipality oﬃ-

“Supplies nowadays are also cials to check the prices. There is no increasing — an indication that price increase of dates, we have some are now busy preparing and various sources of dates including buying extra food items in anticipa- Saudi, Turkey, UAE and even Iraq,” tion of Ramadan. My sales jumped he explained. 10 percent already since last week,” Ashraf explained.
Dates range in price from KD
1.5-KD 5 per kilo, depending on the
Shuraaf, a meat shop owner at variety and origin and what type of
Mubarakiya reaffirmed the stability preparation it passed through. of prices, noting however that “Normal dates which ripened in growing demand and a drop in normal process are KD 1.5 per kilo supply could result in price hikes even if it’s from Kuwait or Saudi closer to the holy month. “Most of Arabia. There are dates that are our meat products are from various processed and cooked with spices countries. If there is shortage of and seedless, their prices ranged supply, like sheep for example; from KD 2.5 to KD 5,” Ashkanani there we can notice the sharp said. increase. But so far, there is no shortage,”Shuraf noted.
In Ramadan as well, there are days that dates are sold very cheap-
Similar comments were made by ly. “So don’t be confused, somefruit vendors. “The prices are all the times instead of selling the dates in same, with no changes so far. Some increased price, we instead offer it vegetables that are coming from on sale, meaning we can give up to Syria are no longer coming in 50 percent discount. So, wait for because of the prevailing situation that day, when we sell our dates at there. We can get from many half price. Surely during Ramadan it sources and it has never affected will happen,”he noted.

the prices of fruits and vegetables

Dates are sold in half price if

we sell here. One of the fruits that they have more than enough supare very popular on the table of plies. “Usually we have many supArabs is fresh ﬁgs and they are plies. So in order to dispose the available at KD 2.5 per kilo. They are supplies, we need to come up with mostly coming from Syria but we the sale, we usually conduct that