Woman arrested on suspicion of manipulating Ya Hala draws

Kuwait’s biggest shopping festival “Ya Hala” was mirred in controversy after an Egyptian national was arrested on suspicion of manipulating the recent draws while trying to leave Kuwait. The woman was arrested at Kuwait airport as she was trying to escape, a security source told Arabic daily Al Qabas.

Prior to her departure she had transferred one of the cars she recently won to the name of her husband, who is also Egyptian after which he rushed to take her to Kuwait airport in order to escape to Egypt.

The source said that the woman winning raised doubts and is now under investigation

The source confirmed that her husband was arrested at dawn on Monday for investigation on suspicion of involvement in manipulating the draws that have been raised about recent doubts.

Meanwhile the ministry has suspended prizes amid commercial draw investigation. Ziad Abdullah Al-Najem, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, affirmed the ministry’s commitment to fair commercial sweepstakes, warning against violations that undermine consumer trust.

He added that the ministry temporarily suspended prize distribution and coordinated with relevant authorities to complete the investigation and verification process.

He emphasized that the ministry would not hesitate to take strict legal action against anyone found to be involved or in violation of applicable regulations.

The ministry reaffirmed its oversight of commercial raffles, stressing that any violations compromising consumer trust or the credibility of these events will not be tolerated.