A detailed report on alleged violations in the purchase of the Eurofighter jets for Kuwait Airforce has been submitted to the concerned authorities by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmed Al-Mansour.
The report is understood to implicate several senior, former and current, officials in the ministry of defence, including a former minister, of abusing their positions and responsibilities. They are alleged to have taken advantage of their positions to intentionally and illegally ‘inflate’ the value of the armament purchase contract to embezzle State funds, and for not taking the required regulatory approvals prior to signing the inflated contracts.
The Eurofighter purchase, which cost the state billions of dollars, was criticized since its signing for being too expensive, and amid allegations of corruption in signing the deal. Kuwait closed the deal to purchase 28 Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets from Italian aerospace and defense supplier Finmeccanica SpA for US$9.1 billion in April 2016, and includes besides the aircrafts, complete support, crew training and infrastructure investments in Kuwait.
The new defense minister is apparently determined to proceed with this file and to refer any violations to the concerned authorities to take necessary legal measures.
