KUWAIT CITY, March 26: Three suspects—a Ministry of Commerce employee, an Egyptian woman, and her husband—have been referred to the Public Prosecution. Meanwhile, security authorities continue their investigation into other individuals involved in the case.

According to informed sources, the investigation into the raffle draw scam is expanding and will include all potential suspects, including ministry employees, raffle winners, and others. Anyone deemed necessary for the investigation will be summoned to provide testimony. Authorities are also monitoring and preventing any suspects from attempting to flee the country.

While the Ministry of Commerce proceeds with its administrative actions, it is conducting a comprehensive review of past raffle draws and the list of winners from recent years. These actions include reassigning managers, canceling existing appointments, and providing official investigative bodies with a list of all individuals who have won multiple times, in preparation for summoning them for questioning.

Ziad Al-Najem, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stated "The manipulation of raffle coupons is not a new issue but rather a snowballing problem that has worsened over the years." Al-Najem further stated, "Out of a sense of moral responsibility, I have submitted my resignation. I cannot remain in my position while the ministry’s image is tarnished."

In his resignation letter, which was submitted to Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Al-Ajeel, Al-Najem highlighted the severity of the situation. He described the manipulation of Kuwait Shopping Festival (Ya Hala) raffle results as revealing deep-rooted reform challenges within the ministry and underscoring the need to combat administrative corruption while promoting transparency and accountability.

"We have taken swift legal action against those responsible," he wrote, "but the severity of this incident has damaged the ministry’s reputation and negatively affected public trust," Al-Najem explained that his resignation stemmed from a sense of leadership responsibility and a desire to defend the efforts of the ministry’s dedicated employees.

He also pointed out the ministry’s structural challenges, stating that "There are over 90 vacant supervisory positions, and all assistant undersecretary roles are currently filled through temporary assignments. This has significantly complicated our work." Despite these difficulties, Al-Najem noted several recent achievements, including the successful launch of the "smart license" initiative, which aims to improve the business environment.