Kuwaiti lady connected to Bahraini money laundering scheme?
Kuwait: The case involving Bahraini Minister of State Mansour Bin Rajab – who has been accused according to press reports of money laundering in connection of Iran – is expected to engulf other Gulf States, Al Watan learnt from sources Sunday.
It has been gathered that the money laundering scheme in question is not exclusive to Bahrain per se, and is existent in several Gulf States, including Kuwait. The case reveals Iran’s strategy in the region, which is based on two parameters: first getting closer to Gulf decision-makers, and second, exploiting a group of businesspeople in the region who look for quick wealth through money laundering.
A source speaking exclusively to Al Watan affirmed that Kuwait is not isolated from this case. The possible implication of certain Kuwaitis in this case has been reinforced by the issuance of an arrest warrant against a 45 year-old Kuwaiti woman identified only as M.S by public prosecutors. The suspect’’s name was reportedly noted alongside the Bahraini nationals believed to be involved in the scheme. The Kuwaiti woman is said to have been summoned to the Criminal Investigations Department on Sunday for interrogation.
Earlier on, Bahraini prosecutors, upon the mention of the name of the Kuwaiti woman in the money laundering network, sent a memo to its Kuwaiti counterpart stressing the need for interrogating the woman to verify the allegations of the Bahraini suspect that the woman was his partner. The latter reportedly issued a check alleging that it belongs to his Kuwaiti accomplice. Accordingly, the sources intimated that public prosecutors, after being informed, issued an arrest warrant for the woman.
At 12 noon Sunday a memo was sent to the Financial Crimes Department which is affiliated to the Criminal Investigations Department to arrest the woman and at 1:00 pm the woman was brought in for questioning.
Al Watan has learnt that the suspect has denied the charge and any involvement in money laundering. She also dismisses the claim that check was hers, adding that she met the Bahraini suspect for coffee and exchanged phone numbers with him. The woman asserted she was only friends with the Bahraini suspect.
Interrogation with her continued through 6:00 pm Sunday, with sources saying that the woman still remains in detention pending an appearance before prosecutors.
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