KUWAIT CITY, Nov 12: Opposition MP Daifallah Buramiyah directed another attack at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Friday, accusing “corrupt officials” of interfering to save an Arab expatriate from a case against him. The expatriate allegedly beat-up two police officers severely while attempts to question him for intentionally disrupting traffic flow last week.

Buramiyah claimed that a number of high-ranking officials attempted to persuade the two officers to refrain from filing a case against the Arab national and increased pressure on them to drop the charges when they formally registered a case. The MP urged the Minister of Interior, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, to form a committee to investigate the incident. He said the attack on the police officers was so severe that it resulted in broken bones therefore the case should be classified as a felony.

Buramiyah stated rampant corruption within the MoI has reached a level where officials are now shifting facts and turning offenders into victims and vice versa. He added those officials are not considering the dignity and prestige of security officers and the MoI’s reputation, but merely look out for their personal interests. The lawmaker said that, if not for the widespread corruption, the expatriate wouldn’t have dared commit such an offence, attacking citizens on their own soil.

Rumors
Rumors have been circulating through the media and social media that Sheikh Ahmed Al-Humoud is considering his resignation due to recent scandals involving his ministry’s employees. The claims, however, were refuted by the interior ministry.
Sheikh Al-Humoud is expected to make a decision on the case of Colonel Shokri Al-Najjar on Sunday. He is expected to either suspend Al-Najjar, refer him to the Public Prosecution, force early retirement or request him to resign; however, according to sources, the minister’s decision have to be approved by other senior officials in the government.
MP Jamaan Al-Harbash forwarded yet another round of questions to Sheikh Al-Humoud. He urged the minister to protect witnesses from pressure to review their statements. Al-Harbash asked if Al-Najjar and other suspect officers had in anyway retained their position or given orders since the start of the MoI’s investigations.
Another alleged security scandal recently brought to light pertains to a former Bahraini MP who was allowed to enter Kuwait, even though he was under restriction for being involved in work against the Bahraini government. Several opposition MPs commented on the incident and accused the MoI of succumbing to pressure and slacking-off important security issues.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs are scheduled to submit another grilling request against His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, on Tuesday. Popular Action Bloc (PAB) MP Musallam Al-Barrak, Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) MP Faisal Al-Muslim, and National Action Bloc (NAB) MP Abdulrahman Al-Anjari are expected to submit the interpellation.
The proponents pertain to the suspicious multi-million dinar deposit scandal and financial transfers abroad through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which resulted in the resignation of former foreign minister, Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah. A number of opposition MPs have declared they will resign if this grilling was referred to the Constitutional Court as like former interpellation requests against the PM.
Furthermore, the PAB threatened to boycott Tuesday’s session if a previous grilling request submitted by MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Abdulrahman Al-Anjari was removed from the session’s agenda due to a Constitutional Court ruling.

Grilling
The grilling was submitted by the MPs during the previous legislative season. It pertained to the government’s failure to protect its shares in Zain Telecommunications Company, non-compliance with the conditions in dealing with compensation for damages caused by the Iraqi invasion, anomalies in Abu Futair area, and delayed establishment of public joint stock companies to implement strategic projects as stated in the development plan of the country.
The interpellation, however, was referred to the Constitutional Court which ruled in October that it was unconstitutional. The court said Sheikh Nasser should be questioned only within the limits of his jurisdiction - the general policy of the government, not the duties of the ministers. Nevertheless, the PAB believes the court’s decision is not binding therefore the interpellation should be discussed.