KUWAIT CITY, Sept 17: A number of MPs are planning to request for a parliamentary investigation into some banks’ dealings as the latter are allegedly using financial derivatives of the deposits, parliamentary and economic sources told Al-Seyassah daily.
The sources said the matter should be referred to the Public Prosecution for investigation and taking necessary legal action, especially since such deals were not under the control of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) as required by banking laws.
The sources said investigations conducted by many MPs revealed that the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Kuwait Finance House (KFH) used the derivatives. It was revealed that the dealings of NBK exceeded $5 billion in value, while those of KFH reached almost two billion dollars.
Meanwhile, economic and financial experts following up the issue of huge deposits in bank accounts of some MPs agree that the banks which leaked information and referred the issue to the public prosecution implicated themselves in the political crisis.
The experts said that these banks targeted some members of the National Assembly and started arousing suspicions that they are involved in illegal transactions, a move that will harm the banks.
Also, by leaking such details, sources said, the banks proved themselves as violators of local and international banking laws, which forbid the acceptance of suspicious deposits.
The experts said the banks accepted the deposits, used them for years and then used the issue in political battles. These banks will be taken to account for not informing authorities about the deposits until now, they added.
Meanwhile, MP Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak revealed she resigned from the Ministry of Health due to the widespread corruption and strong opposition to any reform in different departments, reports Al-Shahed daily.
Reflecting on her experience as the first female minister in Kuwait on an interview with Al-Shahed TV recently, Al-Mubarak said some of the problems she encountered during her tenure included the interference of lawmakers in the overseas treatment procedures.
Asked about her achievements in the Ministry of Communications, Al-Mubarak cited the establishment of the third telecommunications company despite the objection of the two communication giants at the time. She admitted most of the political groups were against her when she headed the two ministries but the criticisms did not deter her from continuing to serve the people.
In the meantime, MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei has strongly reacted to a statement by the State Minister of Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Omair on Al-Rai TV, in which the MP was criticized by the minister. He stressed the people of Kuwait know the true identity of the minister, and the role he played in the bribery scandal would be brought to light soon, reports Al-Jareeda daily.
According to Al-Tabtabaei, the minister’s assertion that Kuwait can not be subjected to an uprising, in the nature of Arab Spring, reflects his lack of understanding. He said that changes have taken place in countries such as Jordan and Morocco without the regime being ousted.
He also commented on his visit to the Tenders Committee, which he said focused on stopping transgression and not to manipulate the committee in the interest of any company.
He condemned the minister for lying that he had gone to the Tenders Committee to lobby for a company, reiterating “I shall not be intimidated on the pages of local newspapers”.