By B Izzak

KUWAIT: National assembly speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said Tuesday the house will hold two regular sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday next week to debate issues on its agenda, based on a decision by the assembly office. Ghanem said that although next Monday will be a public holiday for the Eid Al-Adha, the assembly will coordinate with the ministry of health to test MPs and staff who are likely to take part in the sessions. High on the agenda are two grillings against the ministers of finance and interior over alleged violations in the two key ministries.

In the meantime, two lawmakers yesterday demanded a probe into why a government investigation into the Malaysian fund corruption case was shelved by authorities two years ago. The public prosecution appears to be headed to press charges against high profile personalities accused of being involved in money laundering and transfer of millions of dollars in connection with the Malaysian fund through Kuwaiti firms and personalities.

MP Abdullah Al-Roumi said that he has submitted a motion calling for an assembly debate into the reasons for shelving the government investigation into the issue two years ago. He said that the reason given that time for suspending the probe was that there was no crime and now the public prosecution is investigating into the case.

Roumi said the national assembly should not remain silent on the authorities' reluctance to confront corruption cases and that the government must explain to the assembly the reasons for the suspension in a bid to clean Kuwait's image abroad.

MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari called on the government to investigate why there had been a delay in referring the Malaysian fund case to the public prosecution, adding that it may have been the result of ignorance or participation and in either case an investigation must be carried out. The two lawmakers praised the government authorities for referring a number of corruption cases to the public prosecution.