(MENAFN - Arab Times) MP Musallam Barrak continues to put pressure on the Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali ahead of his grilling request which he is planning to file against the minister this month.
The Minister also received some queries from Liberal and opposition MPs Abdul-Rahman Al-Anjari and Riyadh Al-Adsani on issues of financial and administrative irregularities committed by the Finance Ministry.
Al-Barrak criticized the minister for remaining silent and not taking action against top government officials who are accused of taking bribes from a foreign company (SIEMENS). He added the violations of the minister have now reached their peak.
He said, "It is now clear things have gone out of control of the finance minister because the financial and administrative violations have become the order of the day in all institutions that are under his control."
He indicated since a long time ago one of the foreign companies (SIEMENS) stated clearly that they paid bribes to top government officials in Kuwait but the finance minister seems not to take any action as if he does not care about public money being wasted."
Violations
He stressed all these violations are included in the points of the interpellation which he plans to present against the minister "particularly since he has been defending violators in the institutions that are under his control."
Al-Barrak has also forwarded some parliamentary queries to the minister about the Fifth Chapter of the general budget - various expenditures and transfer payments.
Al-Barrak has requested the minister to provide him with Financial approvals in the budget - the Public Accounts
Amendments to the increase and the reasons
Actual expenditure for fiscal years 2006/2007 until 2009/2010, each year separately
Statement of money spent from the Fifth Chapter which - KD 20 million or more deposited into the accounts of individuals, companies or institutions or officials in the state with the name of the beneficiary and description, the date of payment, account number, the document supporting the payment, the legal document identifying the names of the local and foreign banks where such money was transferred through the Central Bank
Statement of the account disbursed to the accounts of government agencies either to the Central Bank of Kuwait or to the accounts in the local banks and then transferred to the account of individuals, companies or officials in the state starting from KD 20 million and above, indicating the names and account numbers of beneficiaries at local or foreign banks where such money was transferred and the legal basis within the financial period from 2006/2007 until 2009/2010
Funds transferred in the name of leaders or officials in the state starting from KD 20 million or more to their accounts directly in the local or foreign banks or through the Central Bank of Kuwait with the names and account numbers of beneficiaries and the legal and constitutional basis for that during the financial period from 2006/2007 until 2009/2010
The money transferred outside the budget of the Fifth Chapter at the Ministry of Finance and transfer batches of government agencies, which amounted to 20 million or more and were transferred to the (government agencies) and then such money transferred to other beneficiaries in such agencies which were transferred to them by the Finance Ministry with the name of the beneficiary and his description, the date of payment, account number, the supporting document for the payment, the legal document for the payment, during the financial period from 2006/2007 until 2009/2010.
Meanwhile, MP Abdul-Rahman Al-Anjari has criticized Al-Shamali for mishandling his parliamentary questions which he said reflects the government behavior in this regard.
During a press conference which was held at the Parliament, Al-Anjari expressed his displeasure at how the government handles some parliamentary questions.
He explained he sent questions to the finance minister and his response to the question was not only short and inadequate but also took more than a month instead of days.
He said the minister failed to provide answers to queries he raised on investments in the Public Institute for Social Security with local companies and the copies of meetings.
He said, "I want to explain a very serious issue, and let the Kuwaiti people know how the government deals with some of the parliamentary questions."
He pointed out he sent the query to the minister on March 11 of this year concerning three issues - to provide him with the contracts of investment portfolio that were signed by the Public authority for Social Security, rules and regulations for investments at the authority and a copy of minutes of Board of Directors or Investment Committee that indicate approval for managing the portfolio.
Scandal
He went on to say in spite of this the Parliament disclosed a big scandal related to multimillion deposits and money transfers, while we are in the era of transparency with which the world is enacting more legislations to protect public funds, the finance minister came out with a short answer.
He is of the view that the reappointment of Al-Shamali was a mistake and that Al-Shamali should have respected his profession by not accepting the post especially after the resignation of the governor of Central Bank of Kuwait as a result of the multimillion deposits and transfers because the policies and portfolios of the bank fall under the control of the finance minister.
Furthermore, MP Riyadh Al-Adsani has called on the finance minister to examine all files in the institute and the financial loses of KD 1.8 billion incurred by the institute in 2008 and hold to account those guilty.
Al-Adsani explained the money belonging to the pensioners have been incurring accumulated loses for years to reach KD 1.8 billion which is equal to 9 percent of the general budget of the state which is KD 20 billion.
Agencies add:
Financial and economic affairs committee at the National Assembly (parliament) discussed on Wednesday proposed amendments on the public bidding law which was recently approved by the parliament during the first session of debating it.
The committee rapporteur, MP Ahmad Lari, told reporters, on Wednesday, that the panel listened to the government's suggested amendments to the law, in presence of Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Municipality, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs, Minister of Oil and Minister of Commerce and Industry.
MP Lari said the discussion over the law (of item 13) was "practical and objective." The committee requested from the government to present actual statistics of bidding submitted to "ensure the accuracy of applying the law before it is approved in its second session of discussion." The debate over the public bidding law will continue, tomorrow, in the presence of officials of the government and concerned bodies.
