Cairo: After more than five months of investigations, Kuwaiti prosecutors have referred a high-profile case, involving the death of a young Kuwaiti due to a flying manhole lid, to the court, local media has reported.
The case dates back to last October when the lid had inexplicably flown from its place on a highway, hit a car and killed its Kuwaiti motorist, an incident that triggered an outcry in the country. In response, the government suspended several road officials from duty pending investigations.
A lawyer for the victim’s family said only one official at the Ministry of Public Works has been sent to court on charges of manslaughter. “But we will request that all the accused blamed for the incident as proven by the Ministry of Public Works’ report be referred too,” lawyer Hura Al Habeeb added in media remarks.
“Nothing can compensate my clients for the loss of their loved one because of negligence,” she said.
It was not immediately clear how many officials have been implicated in the ministry’s report or when the court hearings will start.
The 19-year-old victim was killed by the flying lid after it had smashed into the front window of his car while driving on a road in Kuwait, local media said at the time.
The Kuwaiti road and land transport authorities vowed penalties if investigations blamed the incident on laxity or wrongdoing of its workers.
Angry activists claimed the incident was the result of road negligence.
