KUWAIT CITY, Sept 9: “The failure of official institutions in doing their job and fulfilling their role led to the media storm that has been trailing the multimillion dinar scandal,” Al-Seyassah daily quoted MP Dr Hassan Jowhar as saying.
The lawmaker made the statement while speaking at a seminar ‘I discharge my duties with sincerity and trust,’ organized by the Protection of Public Funds Society at the Graduates’ Society building. Dr Jowhar said the conflicting reports by newspapers on the members of the National Assembly involved in the scam is tarnishing and battering the image of the parliament. He pointed out that some newspapers claimed 6 MPs were involved, while some others said 10 or 15, but nothing has been proved until now.
Expressing optimism that the number of lawmakers in support of the emergency session will reach 33, Jowhar noted that the emergency session is imperative to discuss the scam and find ways to legislate the asset declaration law. He said the government must not try to block the session, but should instead attend with its members in full. “Also, if the central and local banks were discharging their duties well, the current impasse wouldn’t have occurred at all, and it is not acceptable when people start leveling unfounded claims to smear the image of lawmakers. Moreover, had the parliament passed the anti-corruption and asset declaration bills as demanded by the UN, the issue wouldn’t have escalated to the current level,” he said. The lawmaker pointed out that the asset declaration bill was tabled for legislation seven times since 1992 but the government foiled it every time.
Furthermore, former lawmaker Mishari Al-Osaimi said the government has a history of bribing lawmakers and buying their conscience. He claimed that he and other lawmakers were offered exceptional salaries to be paid in arrears for two years in 1992, but he refused to sell his conscience.
“The purchasing of conscience grew to the level that the government offered 3,000 residency permits to a lawmaker who sold them for KD 3,000 each to people of nationalities that were banned or restricted from entering Kuwait. The issue has now taken another dimension in cheques and millions. Also, MP Faisal Al-Muslim who earlier tried to expose the scams was ridiculed,” he stated.