Employers of Filipina Maid Found in a Freezer Arrested
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JAMADA ALTHANI 9, 1439 AH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2018 Max 24º 24 Pages Min 15º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17466 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net NOTICE TO OUR READERS Kuwait Times extends to our readers best wishes for the Kuwait National & Liberation Day holidays! The newspaper will not publish 26 February. Our next issue will be pub- lished on February 27, 2017. Employers of Filipina maid found in a freezer arrested Nader Essam Assaf in Lebanon custody; Wife in Syria custody BEIRUT: The employers of a Filipina maid found dead in a freezer in Kuwait were both arrested in the Syrian capital Damascus, a Lebanese judicial official said yes- terday. Syrian authorities surrendered Nader Essam Assaf to Beirut on Friday because of his Lebanese citi- zenship but his Syrian wife Mona remains in custody in Damascus, the official said. The murder of Joanna Demafelis sparked outrage in the Philippines and prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose a departure ban for Filipinos planning to work in Kuwait. The 29-year-old’s body, which allegedly showed signs KUWAIT: Ciriaco A Lagunzad III (center), Undersecretary for of torture, was found earlier this month inside a freezer Workers Protection, Human Resource, and Internal Auditing in the abandoned apartment unit of the detained cou- Services Cluster in the Filipino Department of Labor, speaks dur- ple. ing a meeting with the Filipino community at his country’s The couple have been the subject of an Interpol embassy in Kuwait City yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat manhunt since Demafelis’s body was found more than a year after her family reported her missing. “The couple Duterte has vowed to bring justice to Demafelis’s were arrested in Damascus. They were the subject of an family, lashing out at the Gulf state and alleging Arab Interpol red notice and the Syrian authorities handed employers routinely rape Filipina workers, force them the husband over to Lebanese custody on Friday morn- to work 21 hours a day and feed them scraps. Kuwait ing,” the official said. “Syria kept custody of the wife has said it is investigating reported deaths and abuses, KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior yesterday urged motorists to be cautious on the roads due to the rainy weather. because she is a Syrian national,” he added. “Lebanon and insisted there were only a small number consider- Drivers must ensure that their vehicles remain reasonably apart, keep the lights on, adhere to all traffic regulations has asked Kuwait to pass on the husband’s police ing that there are more than 250,000 Filipinos working and call without hesitance the emergency room at 112 if accidents occur. Kuwait witnessed heavy rain, coupled record.” The official said that after leaving Kuwait, the in the emirate. Duterte this week sent a team of labor with cloudy skies and moderate visibility yesterday. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh (See Page 2) couple had made a very brief stopover in Lebanon officials to Kuwait to seek greater protection for before travelling to neighboring Syria. migrant workers. — AFP 2 Established 1961 Local Sunday, February 25, 2018 Heavy rain hits Kuwait; scattered showers predicted for today Interior Ministry urges drivers to stay cautious —Photos by Joseph Shagra and Fouad Al-Shaikh KUWAIT: Heavy rain hit Kuwait yesterday after a long period of drought as the country was affected by south easterly winds with speed that reached as high as 42 km/h. Nearly 7mm of rain were recorded around the country, while a chance of scattered rain is also predicted for today according to the Meteorological Department of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The Ministry of Interior released a statement meanwhile urging motorists to be cautious on the roads due to the rainy weather, saying that drivers must ensure that their vehicles remain reasonably apart, keep the lights on, adhere to all traffic regulations and call without hesitance the emergency room at 112 if accidents occur. The maxi- mum temperature yesterday reached 23 C degrees while the minimum was 15 C, whereas today’s maxi- mum temperature is predicted to reach 24 C and the minimum could drop to 11 C. NCCAL discusses prehistory in 3rd int’l conference KUWAIT: Officials pose for a group photo during NCCAL’s third international conference. By Hanan Al-Saadoun Amin from Sudan, Dr Mayson Al- Nahar from Jordan, Sultan Al- KUWAIT: The National Council for Duwaish from Kuwait, Nayef Al- Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Qannour from Saudi Arabia, Ali Al- held its third international conference Masshani from Oman, Abdelwahed bin under the slogan ‘Prehistoric eras in Nasser from Morocco, Zaidan Kafafi the Arab World’. The two-day confer- from Jordan, Ahmad Saeed and ence hosted an elite group of history Abulhassan Bakri from Egypt, professors including the head of Mustafa Ashi from Morocco, antiquities department at Africa Abdelaziz Suwaileh from Bahrain, and Sultan Al-Duwaish speaks International University Yousuf Al- Yousuf Munir from Iraq. during the conference. meeting of the French envoy International Coalition against the so-called Islamic State (IS). reiterates close Welcoming Kuwait’s mem- bership in the UNSC for ties with Kuwait the coming two years, the French envoy pointed to KUWAIT: French Ambassador to Kuwait Marie the current conditions in Masdupuy has reaffirmed the close and distinctive the Middle East saying the bilateral relations, and continuous efforts to boost two countries have to them. Diplomatic, strategic and military cooperation work together to develop between the two countries has significantly con- solutions to all regional tributed to documenting this vital stage in the history issues for peace and secu- of the two nations, Masdupuy said yesterday, as rity. She congratulated the French Ambassador to Kuwait is celebrating National Days. She noted that Kuwaiti political leader- Kuwait Marie Masdupuy maintaining stability in the region is a priority on the ship and people on the agenda of both. France fully realizes Kuwait’s role and country’s 57th National Day, the 27th Liberation Day efforts for stability in the region, she noted. and 12th anniversary of His Highness Amir’s ascen- Masdupuy lauded Kuwait’s recent hosting of the dance to power. She wished the country further Kuwait International Conference for the progress and prosperity under its sagacious leader- Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) and the ministerial ship. —KUNA Established 1961 3 Local Sunday, February 25, 2018 Amir, Crown Prince receive National days congratulations Celebrations coincide with National Anthem’s 40th anniversary KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- June 19, 1962, with a grand military parade at the old Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received from top state airport where the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem officials yesterday cables of congratulations on the Al-Sabah delivered a speech. He pledged to set up a advent of the 57th National Day and 27th Liberation constituent assembly to work out a modern constitu- Anniversary. His Highness the Amir thanked His tion and arrange for legislative elections. The constitu- Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad tion was approved in November 1962 and the polls Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly were held on January 23, 1963. Marzouq Al-Ghanem, Chief of Kuwait National Guard The date of celebrating the Independence Day was (KNG) Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah, shifted on May 18, 1964, to February 25 to coincide Deputy KNG Chief Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al- with the date of the coronation of Sheikh Abdullah Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al- Salem Al-Sabah in commemoration of his role in Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, as well as His building Kuwait as an independent, fully sovereign, Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak democratic and modern country. Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on their sincere wishes towards Kuwait’s development and progress. Meanwhile, His Great strides Highness the Amir received national days greetings Since its independence, the State of Kuwait has and congratulations from Arab and foreign leaders made great strides on the road of progress and pros- and officials. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah perity and abided by a balanced foreign open-door thanked the leaders for their sincere sentiments policy based on friendship, peace and mutual benefit towards Kuwaiti leadership and people. cooperation. Also yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince It has been working with regional and international exchanged greetings with local officials on the advent organization to help realize the aspirations of the peo- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad of the 57th National Day and 27th Liberation His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber ples of the world for development, security and stabil- Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Anniversary. His Highness the Crown Prince received a Al-Sabah ity. It was able to build firm relations with almost all cable from Ghanem and MPs who congratulated His countries of the world thanks to contributions to the Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Amir everlasting security, safety and stability. Sheikh Nasser anniversary of late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al- efforts, led by the United Nations, the Arab League, on the national occasions. The cable wished the Sabah also sent a couple of congratulatory cables of Sabah’ assumption of power. the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Kuwaiti leadership and people evermore progress and similar sentiments to His Highness the Crown Prince It was approved by the then cabinet, thus replacing Cooperation Council to ensure stability and security success. His Highness the Crown Prince sent a cable and His Highness the Prime Minister on the occasion of the Amiri Salute that was composed by Yusuf Adees in worldwide.