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MPS MAY GRILL INTERIOR MINISTER - TABTABAEI SLAMS CHURCH DEMANDS - ASSEMBLY PROBE PANEL MEETS FORMER CENTRAL BANK CHIEF
Kuwait Times
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/2012/04/02/mps-may-grill-interior-minister-tabtabaei-slams-church-demands-assembly-probe-panel-meets-former-central-bank-chief/
April 3 2012
KUWAIT: The National Assembly committee probing alleged foreign money
transfers yesterday met the former governor of the Central Bank Sheikh
Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah who was praised as "transparent" by the panel
chairman MP Faisal Al-Mislem. Allegations were made that between 2006
and late 2011, former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad
Al-Sabah transferred millions of dinars from public funds into his
private bank accounts overseas. The transfers were allegedly made
through the Central Bank, Kuwait Investment Authority and the foreign
ministry and the amounts transferred are not known. The previous
government had maintained that the former prime minister had repaid
all the amounts to public coffers.
The investigation committee formed to probe the issue last month heard
the testimony of KIA director general Bader Al-Saad as the financial
undersecretary at the prime minister's office Khaled Al-Bannai did
not attend. Muslim said Bannai will be questioned over his role
at a meeting tomorrow, while Bannai said yesterday that he did not
receive an invitation to the meeting. Mislem meanwhile insisted that
the invitation was sent out by the Assembly on Feb 28 and reached the
premier's office the following day. The lawmaker said the committee is
scheduled to meet former foreign minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah,
who resigned last October over the issue, next Sunday. The committee
will also meet with Kuwaiti envoys in Geneva, London and New York
next Monday. The three envoys were mentioned as being involved in
the transfers.
In another probe, the interior and defense committee yesterday met two
senior officials over alleged violations by the detectives' force, head
of the panel MP Salem Al-Namlan said. The committee is scheduled to
meet Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah to complete the
investigation on the same issue. Moves to grill the interior minister
by a number of the "majority" MPs was gaining momentum yesterday as
MP Mislem said the Islamist Development and Reform Bloc was due to
meet late yesterday to discuss the proposed grilling.
MPs are upset over the behaviour of the interior ministry over the
arrest of activist Nahar Al-Hajeri for allegedly burning the Iranian
flag at a rally last week. Hajeri was arrested on Thursday and on
Sunday his detention was extended for 21 days pending investigation
and trial. If the majority alliance agrees to support the grilling,
it could lead to voting him out of office. Activists and supporters
of Hajeri were due to stage a rally outside the headquarters of
the State Security Department in South Surra over the arrest of the
activist. MP Khaled Al-Hajeri meanwhile called for speeding up the
approval of amendments to the law that would considerably reduce the
duration of preventive detention from 21 to just seven days.
Meanwhile, liberal MP Mohammad Al-Sager yesterday proposed amendments
to the constitutional court law, that if approved would allow
nongovernmental societies to submit petitions directly before the
court. Under the law, only the government, the National Assembly or
other courts can file or refer cases to the constitutional court. The
amendments submitted by Sager state that NGOs should be allowed to
submit petitions to the constitutional court against laws seen as
breaching the constitution.
Also, Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei yesterday criticized statements
by Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling
family, that she would continue to fight until Armenian Christians
are allowed to build a church in Kuwait. Tabatabaei said that during
the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian forces ransacked
several mosques and accordingly, they should not be rewarded for such
a crime.
Kuwait Times
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/2012/04/02/mps-may-grill-interior-minister-tabtabaei-slams-church-demands-assembly-probe-panel-meets-former-central-bank-chief/
April 3 2012
KUWAIT: The National Assembly committee probing alleged foreign money
transfers yesterday met the former governor of the Central Bank Sheikh
Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah who was praised as "transparent" by the panel
chairman MP Faisal Al-Mislem. Allegations were made that between 2006
and late 2011, former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad
Al-Sabah transferred millions of dinars from public funds into his
private bank accounts overseas. The transfers were allegedly made
through the Central Bank, Kuwait Investment Authority and the foreign
ministry and the amounts transferred are not known. The previous
government had maintained that the former prime minister had repaid
all the amounts to public coffers.
The investigation committee formed to probe the issue last month heard
the testimony of KIA director general Bader Al-Saad as the financial
undersecretary at the prime minister's office Khaled Al-Bannai did
not attend. Muslim said Bannai will be questioned over his role
at a meeting tomorrow, while Bannai said yesterday that he did not
receive an invitation to the meeting. Mislem meanwhile insisted that
the invitation was sent out by the Assembly on Feb 28 and reached the
premier's office the following day. The lawmaker said the committee is
scheduled to meet former foreign minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah,
who resigned last October over the issue, next Sunday. The committee
will also meet with Kuwaiti envoys in Geneva, London and New York
next Monday. The three envoys were mentioned as being involved in
the transfers.
In another probe, the interior and defense committee yesterday met two
senior officials over alleged violations by the detectives' force, head
of the panel MP Salem Al-Namlan said. The committee is scheduled to
meet Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah to complete the
investigation on the same issue. Moves to grill the interior minister
by a number of the "majority" MPs was gaining momentum yesterday as
MP Mislem said the Islamist Development and Reform Bloc was due to
meet late yesterday to discuss the proposed grilling.
MPs are upset over the behaviour of the interior ministry over the
arrest of activist Nahar Al-Hajeri for allegedly burning the Iranian
flag at a rally last week. Hajeri was arrested on Thursday and on
Sunday his detention was extended for 21 days pending investigation
and trial. If the majority alliance agrees to support the grilling,
it could lead to voting him out of office. Activists and supporters
of Hajeri were due to stage a rally outside the headquarters of
the State Security Department in South Surra over the arrest of the
activist. MP Khaled Al-Hajeri meanwhile called for speeding up the
approval of amendments to the law that would considerably reduce the
duration of preventive detention from 21 to just seven days.
Meanwhile, liberal MP Mohammad Al-Sager yesterday proposed amendments
to the constitutional court law, that if approved would allow
nongovernmental societies to submit petitions directly before the
court. Under the law, only the government, the National Assembly or
other courts can file or refer cases to the constitutional court. The
amendments submitted by Sager state that NGOs should be allowed to
submit petitions to the constitutional court against laws seen as
breaching the constitution.
Also, Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei yesterday criticized statements
by Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling
family, that she would continue to fight until Armenian Christians
are allowed to build a church in Kuwait. Tabatabaei said that during
the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian forces ransacked
several mosques and accordingly, they should not be rewarded for such
a crime.