Manhunt launched by Interpol in death of Filipina in freezer
Fire drill in Petroleum Complex Kuwaiti youth gets 7 years in grandmother murder bid
KFSD personnel who took part in the drill. Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) held a drill exercise on Feb 6 in the Petroleum Complex which contains the buildings of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Ministry of Oil.
According to a press statement issued by KFSD, the aim of the drill was to determine the level of performance of the firefighters and ensure they are aware of how to practically deal with emergency cases with the cooperation of various other governmental authorities and the private sector.
About 700 officers participated in the drill in the evacuation process and obtaining guidance and instructions through the internal communication system within the complex.
The scenario of the drill began with firefighters rushing to the location after receiving information about a fire incident in the complex, and rescuing the trapped victims and referring them to paramedics before extinguishing the fire.
High-ranking fire officials were present at the site along with officials from the concerned authorities such as Ministry of Interior and Medical Emergency Department of KPC.
By Michelle Fe Santiago
Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 8: A manhunt has been launched by the Interpol to arrest and investigate a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife, the prime suspects in the death of a Filipina woman whose body was found inside a freezer on Wednesday at the couple’s apartment in Al-Shaab area, disclosed Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa to the Arab Times.
“We have met with the Director of the Criminal Evidences Department today and he informed us that the remains have been forwarded to the forensic team for autopsy and investigate the cause of death but as of today, they still cannot proceed as the body is still frozen as it has been in the freezer since November 2016 when the suspects left Kuwait,” stated Villa.
Villa added that according to the harris (building caretaker), the couple before leaving last November 2016 instructed the harris to look after their flat and not to open it as there are some valuable things inside.
Security operatives who discovered the crime had gone to the apartment on Wednesday to evict the tenant based on a court order, and when they entered the place alongside the landlord and caretaker of the building, they were surprised to find the corpse inside the freezer.
Meanwhile, preliminary investigation revealed that the Lebanese sponsor of the housemaid was wanted for a series of cases related to dud cheques and he had left Kuwait in 2016 with the Syrian wife.
‘According to the Director of the Criminal Evidences Department, authorities already know the location of the suspects and it’s just a matter of time that they will be arrested,” stated Villa who vowed that they will pursue the case.
Meanwhile, Remy, a Filipina household service worker who lives in the same building told the Arab Times that she used to see the victim (Joanna) from the window on the fourth floor and once she bumped into her near the elevator.
“We used to talk to each other through the window whenever I was down. Her employers live on the fourth floor.
The last time I saw her was in September 2016. I asked Joanna, how is she and she replied not good. I asked her why and she replied that she is being maltreated by her employers, her salary was delayed and she was given only kuboos (bread) to eat. I even told her that I will take her to the embassy but that was the last time I saw her,” recounted Remy.
She added that she was in a state of shock on Wednesday when the caretaker called her and the police authorities asked her some questions about the victim.
“We hope and pray that the couple who did this to Joanna be arrested and justice be served,” stated Remy.
Agencies add: Grandmom murder bid:
The Court of Appeals chaired by Judge AbdulRahman Al-Darmi has sentenced a Kuwaiti in his 20s to seven years in prison with hard labor for trying to kill his grandmother. The court thereby awarded the plaintiff KD5001 in temporary compensation, says Al-Seyassah.
The case file indicated the suspect went to the residence of his aged grandmother on that fateful morning and she received him with open arms, because she had not seen him for almost a year. However, she was surprised when suddenly the grandson drew a knife and said “it’s your appointed time with death” and started inflicting stab wounds in her His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Thursday inspected the border Al-Buhaith checkpoint.
He was accompanied Deputy Prime Minister
by and
chest. He continued kicking the grandmother in the face even after she fell on the floor amid stab wounds. He left the knife in her chest and fled the scene thinking the grandmother was already dead.
Later on, the old woman was rushed to Adan Hospital by one of her children after removing the knife from her chest. The son was told the deed had been done by her grandchild.
Investigation revealed the suspect
committed the crime with the impression that killing his grandmother would solve his financial issue. The suspect would have been given the share of his late father’s inheritance from the grandmother, so he chose to go to the grandmother’s residence in a rented car early in the morning, while others were not around. He parked the car at the parking lot of a nearby school and set fire to the seat to wipe the traces of blood. He later reported the car stolen.
Lawyer Mohammad Dashti representing the plaintiff affirmed the case of attempted murder was established based on concrete proofs, including the testimony of the victim.
He said nobody should expect the woman to lie against her grandson, adding the communication towers affirmed the presence of the suspect within the crime scene at the time he claimed to be sleeping in his residence.