KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait appeared headed for a fresh political crisis after an opposition MP on Sunday filed to quiz the premier and MPs have threatened to grill several ministers.
Opposition lawmaker Faisal Al-Muslim filed to question Kuwait’s prime minister in Parliament over alleged misuse of public funds and for issuing a $700,000 check to another MP.
Muslim alleges that Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s office misappropriated tens of millions of dollars of public funds in the run-up to the May 2008 general election.
Other opposition MPs have also vowed to file to quiz the ministers of interior, public works, finance and defense over a variety of allegations which include corruption, misleading parliament and misuse of public funds.
The latest wave of threats to grill the head of government and several Cabinet members comes barely three weeks after the new parliamentary term was opened with a call by the emir for constructive cooperation.
Muslim said he had sent several questions to the premier over the alleged misuse of funds and the check, but that he had declined to respond on the grounds that the issues were being investigated by the public prosecution.
Two weeks ago, Muslim showed in Parliament a copy of a 200,000-dinar ($700,000) check issued by the prime minister to a former MP in June 2008 when the beneficiary was a member of Parliament.
Muslim said that despite exposing the issue in March, the prime minister and his aides have categorically denied that checks were issued to MPs, but when the copy of the check was showed, the premier acknowledged issuing it.
Last week, local newspapers quoted the prime minister as saying the check was from his private funds and that it was for a humanitarian cause.
The debate to quiz the premier is expected to take place on Dec. 8, according to Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi.
