KUWAIT CITY, June 13: MP Musallam Al-Barrak criticized Kuwait’s Central Bank Governor Mohammad Al-Hashel on Wednesday for failing to provide the parliament’s ‘multi-million dinar deposits’ probing panel with the requested information. He said the panel will meet next week to discuss steps to take in light of Al-Hashel’s refusal and that the panel will request the Assembly’s permission to extend its work period.

Al-Barrak disclosed that the governor met with the committee but withheld documents on the complaints the CBK has received from local banks on the deposits from 2009 until December 2011, and the CBK’s investigations in that regard, which are needed to complete the panel’s investigations. The panel requested information on the former MPs and ministers who were investigated and their wives and minor children who have trust funds. “But the panel was not given the information on the grounds of secrecy as it infringes on personal freedoms,” he stated.

Al-Barrak added that Al-Hashel further refused to disclose the amounts that were deposited in local banks by former lawmakers and ministers and their wives and minor children, their dealings with exchange companies, and their real-estate transactions. “This is despite our request not to mention any names,” he said.

The MP wondered if the omission is in attempt to protect members of the former Cabinet even though they have violated CBK policies. “The CBK should only protect those who have not committed any violations from financial wealth disclosure, not the opposite,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the Misdemeanor Court acquitted five Special Forces officers on Wednesday who were charged of assaulting MP Obaid Al-Wassmi on Dec. 8, 2010 during the infamous seminar at the diwaniya of MP Jamaan Al-Harbash. 

Commenting on the news on Twitter, Al-Wassmi vowed he will continue to pursue justice as the ruling cannot be deemed an application of the law. He said that all authorities must be responsible for their actions “as an authority without responsibility or accountability is closer to (a system) of slavery and that is unacceptable religiously, legally and morally.”

Al-Wassmi added that “there is no such thing in law called ‘following the directions of the Amir by committing an offense’ and a judge cannot assume a reality that has no basis on paper.”