Kuwait financier saga shows weak regulation

The apparent suicide of a Kuwaiti broker, sued for fraud by U.S. regulators in a case linked to Kuwait's ruling family and its top investment firm, shines an unwelcome light on the weak regulatory environment in the Gulf Arab state.

Kuwaiti Hazem Khalid Al-Braikan, 37, who had been at the centre of a financial scandal that erupted last week, was found dead on Sunday, days after being sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over suspicious stock trades.

His sudden death sent shockwaves through the financial sector in the world's biggest oil-exporting region, already hard hit by the global crisis and facing concerns about transparency.