Three detained over alleged raffle fraud in Middle East

An official has quit and investigations are under way after a man appeared to manipulate results in a high profile TV raffle.

An alleged lottery fraud has sparked an outcry in the Middle East after a video of a man appearing to manipulate results in a high-profile TV raffle went viral on social media.

The footage shows the man reaching into a sea of red tickets as part of a raffle to win a Cadillac car during the Ya Hala Shopping Festival in the nation of Kuwait.

As the man bunches a pile of tickets together and flicks his hand to separate them, one appears to emerge from under his sleeve, which he marks with a pen and passes to a female presenter.

“Corruption at its finest,” one person commented on the video on social media.

“You can see (the) card come out of his sleeve,” said another.

“Kudos to the cameraman,” said another.

The man was sifting through a sea of tickets during the raffle. Picture: TikTok

One appeared to emerge from underneath his sleeve. Picture: TikTok

The man in the video was later identified as the acting head of the draws department at the Ministry of Commerce, Dubai newspaper Gulf Newsreports.

According to the publication, investigations indicate he used his position to manipulate draws in exchange for financial benefits.

A Ministry of Commerce employee, an Egyptian woman, who had allegedly tried to flee the country, and her husband have been detained in connection with the case.

According to Gulf News, investigations indicate the couple won seven luxury cars across multiple raffle draws, which they later sold.

Over 50 people, including 25 expatriated, are currently under investigation in connection to the case, a security source told the Arab Times.

All of the individuals have reportedly been placed on travel ban or arrest lists.

The alleged scam has drawn mass public interest and sparked a wider investigation into raffles, with the Ministry of Commerce launching a committee to review previous draws and winners.

The man passed the winning ticket to the presenter. Picture: TikTok

The draw was to win a Cadillac. Picture: TikTok

A ‘snowballing problem’

The undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ziad Al Najem, has resigned over the incident, noting a “sense of moral responsibility”.

In his resignation letter, he pointed out the “manipulation of raffle coupons is not a new issue but rather a snowballing problem that has worsened over the years”, reported the Arab Times.

The official also noted that while the ministry “took the necessary legal measures against the violators” the “heinous incident has gone beyond the limits of the ministry and has reflected a negative image among citizens”.

“Out of a sense of moral responsibility as a leader and in defence of the efforts of all loyal employees of the ministry, I submit my resignation from my position,” he wrote, reported Al Qabas.

‘Not a simple case’

The Public Prosecution, who have taken over the case, are currently investigating charges of fraud, forgery and money laundering,

“This is not a simple case of one person exploiting a loophole,” a senior source familiar with the case told Gulf News.

“We are looking at an organised effort to manipulate public raffles and profit illegally – a matter with serious implications for trust in commercial practices and government oversight.”

Originally published as Three detained over alleged raffle fraud in Middle East