Minister of Justice... By God, you have succeeded and prospered
Minister of Justice develops legislation to protect citizens from contractor fraud in Al-Mutlaa
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
When a citizen falls victim to fraud, he resorts to the available legal means to obtain his rights, which is the correct course of action. However, we are dealing with a tragic incident—yes, tragic in the fullest sense of the word—because its details must be taken into account to complete the picture.
A Kuwaiti citizen appeared on various social media platforms, recounting his ordeal with a resident contractor. He said: “After years of waiting to receive housing assistance, I won a plot in Al-Mutlaa, as well as a loan to build my lifelong home and that of my children. I agreed with a contractor, and once he received the money, he fled… yes, he fled. When I inquired about him, it turned out he escaped to his home country on the very same day. Today, I am suffering at the hands of this swindler to the extent that I considered setting up a tent to live in with my children.”
According to reports filed at police stations, this case has become a phenomenon in the Al-Mutlaa residential area, sparking public outrage. That neighborhood is witnessing, and continues to witness, contractual disputes and numerous cases filed in courts. It is well known that judicial procedures take time to reach a verdict, by which time the plaintiff may have lost his money, while the contractor has fled to his home country. Even if a ruling is issued, enforcement is sometimes impossible, as the fleeing swindler often employs various measures to conceal his fraud.
Consequently, information indicates that approximately 2,000 cases are currently pending in courts due to fraud by certain contractors, fictitious companies, or firms lacking sufficient financial capacity to complete the work. Such entities resort to delay tactics and then abandon the project, with partners fleeing as well.
This issue was brought before Minister of Justice, Advisor Nasser Al-Samait, who is currently working on drafting legislation to close the loopholes arising from contracts between citizens and contractors, so that such phenomena do not recur.
As sources close to Minister Al-Samait state, it is not enough for a contractor to hold only a license; there must also be financial solvency, guarantees capable of covering a significant portion of the project, and engineering supervision by recognized offices. Additionally, the contractor should have a full team, or, if subcontracting is involved, the subcontractors must hold valid licenses and have a track record of previous projects, among other measures that ensure the contractor does not flee for any reason.
It is true that citizens seeking to build a home or undertake a project should exercise caution. However, not everyone is aware of the legal details; they often accept what is presented to them or follow established customs, as they approach the matter in good faith. Therefore, the citizen who chose to expose the truth via social media has called for the enactment of strict legislation in this regard, after becoming a victim of a scammer.
Thus, we reiterate our gratitude to the Minister of Justice for his swift response to this matter and his efforts to draft legislation that closes the loopholes in such issues. It would be ideal if all ministers monitored and engaged with content published in media and social media platforms, and if any problems arose, they would promptly work to resolve them.
On this occasion, there is a well-known anecdote about the prime minister of an Arab country, who used to request daily intelligence reports on jokes circulating among the public that targeted him personally or related to his policies. He used these reports to gauge the general political mood, the economic situation, and public satisfaction in society, and to address emerging problems.
