16/05/2019
8893 times read
16/05/2019
8893 times read
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Very recently, the Kuwait Municipality revealed a number of thefts and misappropriations in state property (land), one of which was as big as 282,000 square meters and the other 85,000 square meters and this happened without taking into consideration the prestige of the state or the consequences of theft of such volume and gravity.
A recent tour visit made by Al-Qabas daily uncovered a site in Sulaibiya from where sand was stolen. Some companies continued to exploit these sites and stole tons of sand away from the eyes of the regulatory bodies. An informed source said that these companies work in the evening and move sand in the morning taking advantage of the presence of a nearby quarry licensed to the Ministry of Public Works and the Public Authority for Industry.
The Municipality also stressed on strict application of the law on the offenders in the case of stealing sand from quarries and exploiting land for warehousing purposes, and verified the licenses granted and held accountable those who are involved in theft.
The source pointed out that there is a team in the Kuwait Municipality which follows up the sites and their designations in all areas of Kuwait and monitor any violation, and one of the companies was referred to the Public Prosecution for its involvement in the issue of new misappropriation in storage lands by exceeding the space granted to it in the Al-Mutla’a residential project, bringing the number of referrals to the Prosecution against the background of cases of infringement on state property to four.
The Director-General of the Municipality has made administrative amendments giving the right to undersecretaries and assistant undersecretaries to grant land for storage purposes. He also ensured the automation and regulation of transactions and the cancellation of some licenses under investigation and sources confirmed the Municipality continues to address all forms of embezzlement of public money and rights of the state and violation of regulations.
In March 2017 the late Lt. Major Muhammad Abdul Aziz Al-Badr has left behind a trail of honesty, hard work, faithfulness and patriotism. Al-Badr had a well-known military, administrative and supervisory history and did his best during the brutal Saddam occupation.
After his retirement he was assigned to work in the Council of Ministers in the mid-eighties and given the chairmanship of the Committee to follow up the security decisions. Before his death, he served as Chairman of the Committee on the removal of encroachments on state property, and made big achievements which no one could over the years.
Although the government disturbed him by interfering in his work from time to time, he sustained it and continued to carry out his national mission because he felt he had the support, and so many people saw him as proof that the law can be applied if there is one who applies it and those who fear that die unnoticed.
I wrote in his obituary that his death would cause decline in the effectiveness of the encroachment removal committee. I repeated this in other articles, and unfortunately what I expected happened as the committee disappeared, and the members may have become part of just pay attention to the salary, fasting, midnight prayers and nothing more.
This committee must come to life again and be armed with claws and its presidency should be entrusted with a personality known for firmness and integrity, such as Engineer Ali Al-Youha or put it directly under the authority of the Director General of the Municipality, Engineer Al-Manfouhi, who has proved the ability in defending public money. He has noble qualities and a good endeavor to help those in need.
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By Ahmad alsarraf