KUWAIT CITY, March 25: Kuwait’s Criminal Investigation and Licensing Department of the Criminal Security Sector’s General Department of Criminal Investigation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, identified a network involved in manipulating raffle draw results, and arrested a few of the members of the network, following the circulation of a video on social media showing an individual tampering with the prize draw process.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Interior explained that extensive investigations led to the identification of the individual, identified as A.H., in the video. He serves as the Head of the Raffles Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It was discovered that he exploited his position to systematically manipulate multiple raffles for companies that announced prizes to ensure certain individuals won, and he had obtained financial compensation for doing so.

During investigations, a network was uncovered that meticulously manipulated multiple raffles. One of the members of the network was an Egyptian employee of a charity society, identified as F.D., who won several prizes, including five cars in her name. Also, two cars were won in the name of her husband, identified as M.G., who is an Egyptian employee of a press company, through a systematic fraud scheme. After obtaining legal permission, security teams arrested the three suspects. F.D. was arrested while she was attempting to leave the country via Kuwait International Airport.

When questioned, she confessed to her involvement in the fraudulent schemes through her husband, who had a connection with his Egyptian colleague, identified as M.S. Her husband had suggested that she participate in the raffles, and confirmed a Dominican national, identified as S.Kh., working at a logistics services company would win, under the condition that he would waive the prize in exchange for a sum of money ranging from KD 200 to KD 600 for each prize.

Meanwhile, A.H. admitted to manipulating the raffles in collaboration with S.Kh. and agreed to divide the proceeds between them. Further investigations revealed that M.S. left the country on March 1, and S.Kh. left on March 23. Both individuals are being pursued and tracked through Interpol under legal frameworks. Security authorities have also identified other winners suspected of involvement in similar fraudulent schemes. Their cases are currently under review with relevant authorities, and appropriate legal action will be taken against them.

Meanwhile, a growing number of lawyers and activists have called for stricter oversight of festival and bank raffles. Social media users have raised concerns about recurring winners, urging authorities to review past draws. Lawyer Salah Al-Hashem, who previously flagged similar issues in 2017, recalled witnessing names being drawn multiple times in a single bank raffle. Despite an investigation committee being formed, no concrete actions were taken at the time. President of the Kuwait Society for Information Security Dr. Safaa Zaman highlighted the role of technology in providing solutions to deal with these issues, as technological tools are typically known for their integrity and transparency.

She said, “There are many electronic applications available that allow for electronic coupon submissions, random electronic draws, and the selection of multiple winners without any bias or fraud.” Dr. Zaman explained that what sets this method apart is its integrity, speed, ease of participation, and transparency. Also, this method allows for data analysis and provides reports on participation patterns, which help to develop and improve the shopping process. However, there are potential risks related to hacking into these systems and manipulating the selection process. When choosing electronic systems, they must be secure and equipped with encryption tools to prevent any tampering or fraud.

Overall, electronic systems are far superior to traditional methods, offering advantages in terms of ease of participation, coupon completion and submission, monitoring, regulation, and the ability to detect any tampering or attempted manipulation during the draw process. There are many applications with distinctive features that offer various opportunities for selection. Some of these applications incorporate advanced security measures and artificial intelligence technologies for ensuring a random, unbiased selection process, free from human error or manipulation.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Salah Al- Hashem revealed that he is one of those affected by the draw process, as he raised the issue in 2017 when a winner’s name was repeated 18 times in a bank raffle. He said during his participation in a previous draw with prizes ranging from KD 5,000 to KD 100,000, he noticed that the names of certain winners were repeatedly drawn in subsequent raffles.

Lawyer Al-Hashem explained that he contacted the then Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al- Roudhan, who formed an investigation committee headed by Dr. Mohammed Al-Fayli. The committee made some observations regarding the bank raffles, but unfortunately, no further action was taken. Many users on social media, especially on the X platform, have highlighted the repeated appearance of the same names in festivals or bank draws. Some reported that certain winners’ names were repeated five or more times, sometimes monthly. They urged the relevant authorities to review all previous draws.

Furthermore, Lawyer Enaam Haidar said cheating in competitions or television programs, such as illegal voting or manipulating results, is a violation of the law. She explained that if the cheating is aimed at making a profit or obtaining financial prizes illegally, it constitutes a breach of the Kuwaiti Penal Code (Article 110 on fraud). Those responsible for cheating could face penalties, including imprisonment or fines, depending on the severity of the offense. Lawyer Haidar indicated that all parties involved in supervising and participating in the Ya Hala Festival could be held accountable for failing to ensure the integrity of the competition if it is proven that they neglected to properly monitor the voting process, and they may be subject to fines.

By Fares Al-Abdan and Jaber Al-Hamoud

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff