Kuwait probes parliament hopeful over vote buying

Cairo: Kuwait’s prosecutors are probing a contender in this week’s parliamentary election over suspected vote buying, Kuwaiti mediated reported.

Five people, including four women, from the contestant’s campaign were earlier arrested for being involved in illegal vote buying for the candidate who runs in the third electoral district, according to media reports.

Al Qabas newspaper said prosecutors ordered the contender kept in custody pending further questioning.

The five campaigners have been in custody for three days.

“Public prosecution will request further investigations to determine details of the case,” Al Qabas quoted an unidentified source as saying.

The suspects were arrested in a house after a close police watch, Al Rai reported earlier this week. Around KD3,960 was seized along with e-payment receipts and civil identification cards.

Investigations revealed that the house is owned by a Kuwaiti man, who had rented it, the paper added.

The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, said police had caught a number of people in the act of unlawful vote buying inside a house. Sums of money readied for handover were seized too, the ministry added without giving further details.

“The Interior Ministry is following and monitoring vote buying methods whether the traditional ones or via electronic links and will not hesitate to firmly apply law,” it added in a statement.

Last month, Kuwait formally dissolved parliament and installed a new government until the new election is held on September 29.

In June, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Meshal Al Ahmad announced the parliament’s dissolution and called for a snap election to end a protracted standoff between the government and parliamentary opposition.