Assembly to discuss jailing of MPs in next term - MP seeks clarity on banks' merger

KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has taken several measures against suspects accused of forging educational certificates and diplomas, CSC President Ahmad Al-Jassar announced yesterday. The action was taken after the CSC received a document from the ministry of higher education containing the names of several suspects.

The measures included withdrawing administrative decisions issued based on the forged documents, Jassar said. He also pointed out that some of the procedures also insisted on "the recovery of all the finances that were spent unjustly on the suspects". Jassar affirmed that CSC operates according to the law and will not tolerate or hide those named in the list by the education ministry.

The decisions taken by CSC came within the framework of the fight against corruption and applying the law on everyone equally, Jassar added. CSC, under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh and leaders of CSC, conducted the necessary research with utmost accuracy and speed to cooperate with the ministry of higher education on this matter of grave importance, he affirmed.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanem and several MPs have called for taking tough action against those who allegedly obtained fake university degrees and even managed to register them at the ministry of higher education after paying bribes. Ghanem called for taking all the legal actions against such people and for publishing their names after they are convicted by courts.

The new calls come after Education Minister Hamed Al-Azmi said 40 such degrees have been referred to the public prosecution for criminal action against those involved, amid reports that the number of such illegal degrees is as high as 400. "I would like to thank Dr Al-Azmi and the entire staff of the education ministry for their efforts to get to the bottom of this issue," Ghanem said in a statement.

MP Mohammad Al-Dallal said the education minister is required to publicize the names of those who are trying to prevent investigations into the fake degrees. He said the revelations regarding this issue have shocked the society and have clouded the education network with suspicion, adding that an Assembly panel on employing Kuwaitis will meet soon to discuss the issue. MP Mubarak Al-Harees called on the minister to continue with his reforms and to expand investigation to include previous years so as to expose this issue.

Meanwhile, reports said that the minister has referred the degree of a well-known professor to the public prosecution on suspicion that the degree is fake. Also, Manpower and Government Restructuring Program Secretary General Fauzi Al-Majdali said in a bid to protect public funds and recover national labor support allowances unlawfully paid to citizens holding fake certificates, MGRP has demanded a list of these citizens' names to stop paying their allowances, retrieve the sums they had unlawfully received and take legal action against them.

Separately, Ghanem said yesterday that he has received notifications from the head of the judicial council regarding the jail terms passed against MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Jamaan Al-Harbash, who were convicted for storming the National Assembly. The two lawmakers along with six former MPs and five activists were sentenced to three and a half years in jail each, while three other activists received a two-year sentence.

Ghanem said that the Assembly's legal and legislative committee will study the issue and prepare its report before the next term opens in October. He said the report will be debated in the first regular session of the Assembly's next term, adding that there will be no emergency sessions during the summer recess.

The Assembly is expected to agree to unseat the two lawmakers and announce by-elections to fill the two seats in the second and third constituencies. Both Tabtabaei and Harbash are currently outside the country. MPs and political figures have called for a peaceful solution to the issue by urging the political leadership to pardon the jailed MPs and activists.

In the meantime, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani yesterday urged the government to announce the goals and objectives of the planned merger between Kuwait Finance House and the Bahrain-based Ahli United Bank, to become one of the largest Islamic banks in the region. He said that the government holds large stakes in both banks and accordingly should announce its benefits from the merger and also called for studying any clash of interests in the proposed deal.

Kuwait Finance House and Ahli United Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding and a non-disclosure agreement, besides selecting two international banks to start legal procedures for the merger. Adasani said that government agencies hold a 48 percent stake in KFH and the state-owned Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) owns 18.7 percent of Ahli United Bank (AUB). He added PIFSS and AUB are chaired by the same person, so the government must study any possible conflict of interests in the deal.

By B Izzak and Agencies