MPs vow to grill Assembly minister over false info

KUWAIT: A probe committee investigating alleged corruption and financial and administrative violations at the health ministry yesterday approved recommendations to refer former health ministers and a large number of present and former officials to the public prosecution and the anti-corruption authority for investigation into alleged corruption.

Rapporteur of the panel MP Saadoun Hammad said the committee issued recommendations regarding seven issues it investigated. In the first issue regarding sending citizens for medical treatment abroad, the committee called for referring a former health ministry undersecretary and top officials at the foreign medical treatment department to the public prosecution and the anti-corruption authority.

Regarding alleged violations at health offices abroad, the committee called for referring a former health ministry undersecretary, top officials and officials at the Frankfurt and Washington health offices to the prosecution and the anti-corruption authority for investigation. Hammad said the committee called for referring a former health minister to the ministers' trial court for investigation related to alleged corruption in the recruitment of nurses from abroad. It was reported that ministry officials had received millions of dinars from foreign nurses, mainly from India, to secure employment at the health ministry.

The committee also recommended referring a former undersecretary, a former director of nursing services and former directors of companies that signed contracts with the ministry between 2013 and 2017 to the public prosecution and the anti-corruption authority for investigation. It also called for referring a former minister and former top officials for investigation regarding an expansion project at Adan Hospital. The committee also asked the National Assembly to extend its mandate for another year to follow up the implementation of the recommendations.

Meanwhile, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani yesterday said he will file to grill new state minister for national assembly affairs and ex-MP Adel Al-Khorafi over allegations he provided false information. Adasani said he will be joined by opposition MP Adel Al-Damkhi in the grilling, which will be submitted only after the grilling against the minister of social affairs and labor is completed. He said that Khorafi submitted a proposal signed by a former defense minister, which is against the constitution, adding he will write to the prime minister to dismiss the minister. Adasani also called on the minister to step down, adding that if he is not sacked or does not resign, he will file to grill him.

Also, MP Thamer Al-Suwait yesterday submitted a draft law to amend the Kuwaiti nationality law to grant stateless or bedoon wives of Kuwaiti nationals Kuwaiti citizenship five years after the marriage without waiting for them to apply.

By B Izzak