Top co-op men jailed for bribe

KUWAIT CITY, June 9: The Court of Cassation upheld the ruling of the Criminal Court, which sentenced the manager of a cooperative society and the head of its purchasing department to two-year imprisonment each with hard labor, after they were convicted of soliciting and accepting a bribe from a vegetable trading company in exchange for allowing it to continue operating within the cooperative society and ensuring the disbursement of its financial dues, reports Al-Seyassah daily. A vegetable supplier reported that the defendants had demanded money from him in order to facilitate his business and avoid obstructing his commercial activities.

The General Department of Criminal Investigation conducted the necessary investigations and confirmed the accuracy of the information in the report. The investigations revealed that the defendants had demanded an amount equivalent to 10 percent of the total monthly vegetable sales from the informant in exchange for allowing him to display his goods for sale within the cooperative society and for ensuring the payment of his dues. After obtaining the necessary legal warrants, the Criminal Investigation Department set a trap for the defendants. Meetings and conversations with the informant were recorded in audio and video, confirming that the defendants had solicited and received the bribe.