MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf

KUWAIT: Opposition MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf said yesterday that he has prepared a grilling against Commerce and Industry Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan over alleged financial and administrative violations and that he intends to submit the grilling soon. He called on the minister to choose between facing the grilling in the national assembly or stepping down from his post.

Roudhan had come under increased pressure from several lawmakers who had threatened to grill him over a variety of alleged violations. They include MP Riyadh Al-Adasani who accused the minister of misusing his post to benefit a company owned by his relative. They also include MP Al-Humaidi Al-Subaie who accused him of filing 449 incomplete cases to the court regarding a major real estate cheating case. He also accused him of other violations in the ministry.

A large number of MPs have already threatened to grill several ministers when the next term opens in October with expectations of highly tense political environment in the country. A number of MPs have also warned to grill His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

Hajraf told reporters in the assembly that 10 days ago he announced he would grill the commerce minister and "now, the grilling is ready and will be submitted soon." He said the grilling will primarily focus on the state-owned fund for promoting small and medium projects for Kuwaitis which is under the commerce ministry, adding that he had already cautioned the minister over major violations by the fund.

He said that when he previously made the announcement for the grilling, many Kuwaiti youths conveyed many complaints about the fund, adding that the grilling is for the interests of Kuwaiti youths planning to do their own projects.

By B Izzak