KUWAIT CITY, Sept 16: Internal investigations conducted in some banks revealed that some influential employees deliberately ignored the suspicious movement of huge funds in the accounts of some MPs involved in the KD 25 million scandal because they happen to be their relatives, reliable sources told Al-Shahed daily.  

Sources say some account holders verbally threatened the board chairmen of these banks that if the latter refer them to the public prosecution, they will prove their innocence and after that, they will unmercifully sue the banks.

Sources added that some other banks which witnessed the suspicious movement of funds are scared of the threats of lawmakers. “They tried to delay in revealing the names of account holders until making sure that the funds were obtained illegally. These accounts belong to wives and children of some lawmakers. Some other banks are maintaining silence due to fear of losing their clients,” said sources.

Investigations also revealed that a big local company, in which a senior official has a big stake, has been regularly depositing funds into the account of one particular lawmaker. Sources say it is strange that such incidents are happening despite the fact that the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) stated more than once that it is strictly monitoring local banks and huge monetary deposits to prevent money laundering operations.  Sources say CBK and local banks started taking serious steps only after the case was taken up by the media.

Meanwhile, MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan has reportedly submitted official documents proving the involvement of an assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Information in financial and administrative violations, reports Al-Jarida daily.

He submitted the documents to acting Minister of Information and Communications and Minister of Electricity and Water Salem Al-Othaina during a meeting on Wednesday. Ministry Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Hummoud had also attended the meeting.

Al-Duwaisan urged the minister to suspend the assistant undersecretary from work until the public prosecution completes investigations. The State Audit Bureau had earlier referred the file to former information minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah who in turn had referred it to public prosecution.
Al-Othaina said the decision on suspending the assistant undersecretary will be based on legal and administrative procedures.

In the meantime, with the official disclosure that details of bank accounts of nine lawmakers have been referred to public prosecution, it is clear that some people must be flushed out from the parliament in the coming elections, Al-Seyassah daily quoted former MP Abdullatif Al-Omairi as saying.

Speaking at a seminar ‘Corruption in Legislature,’ held at his diwaniya, Al-Omairi blamed the government for buying the support of lawmakers. He called on the accused MPs to resign and urged the public to keep up the pressure and expose corrupt officials and politicians.

Former MP Mohammad Al-Kandari said lawmakers must make sure other bribe deals in form of investments, shares and farms are exposed, and called on the judiciary to expose all lawmakers involved in the bribery scandal.

Speaking on the occasion, MP Mohammad Al-Mutair said the bill he drafted with the help of constitution and legal experts will rescue the legislative authority from dark clouds that hover over it.

His colleague MP Jama’an Al-Harbash said those who accepted bribe from the government are capable of selling the country to foreign enemies too. He claimed that more revelations will follow because the government is entwined in the web of malpractices.