Two MOI leaders suspended over prisoner suicide case

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KUWAIT CITY, June 1: Within the framework of a comprehensive twitch in the Central Prison aimed at establishing discipline and preventing any transgressions or irregularities, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled issued a ministerial decision to suspend both the Assistant Undersecretary for Private Security and Correctional Institutions Affairs at the Ministry of Interior Major General Abdullah Saffah and the Director General of Correctional Institutions Brigadier General Fahad Al-Obaid. They have both been referred for investigations, reports Al-Qabas daily.

Major General Abdullah Al-Rajeeb was appointed as the Assistant Undersecretary for Correctional Institutions, along with his current role of Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Affairs, and acting Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs and Operations.

Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled decided to appoint Brigadier General Nasser Al-Azmi as the Director General of Correctional Institutions and Brigadier Hazaa Al-Juaib as his deputy.

According to informed sources, Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled had decided to form a committee to investigate the events that took place on Tuesday, May 30 at the Central Prison. The prisoners’ cells were inspected, inmates’ statements were listened to, and their conditions were also checked, based on the instructions of Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid.

This step followed the announcement made by the Ministry of Interior regarding an inmate who died by suicide inside the Central Prison. A case was filed and referred to the concerned authorities.

The committee formed by the minister comprises representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Kuwait Society for Human Rights and the Kuwait Transparency Society, and aims to find out the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled directed the leaders to “prioritize discipline and punish any official who fails to perform his duties”.

The minister stressed the need to take the necessary measures to protect the inmates of correctional institutions, and to apply the principle of “imprisonment is reform and refinement.”

The sources said the “twitch” that the minister has started aims to strengthen security discipline, prevent any defect within the Central Prison, establish transparency, and apply the law to anyone who abuses power.

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