By B Izzak

KUWAIT: MP Hamdan Al-Azmi on Thursday filed a grilling against Commerce and Industry Minister Mohammad Al-Aiban over alleged irregularities, violations, squandering of public funds and others. The grilling was submitted to the National Assembly and will be listed for possible debate on the agenda of the next regular session on Nov 14. Aiban, who is also minister of state for youth affairs, has the right to demand delaying the debate for two weeks.

In his grilling, MP Azmi accused the minister of committing financial and administrative violations at a trading company that he chaired before his appointment as a minister. Azmi alleged that financial violations were committed by the minister and the company filed a lawsuit against him, but he utilized his post as a minister to refuse summons by the public prosecution. He also alleged that there are several cases of fraud at the public prosecution against the minister, who is utilizing his post by not going to the public prosecution.

Azmi also charged the minister of putting the country’s security at risk by not acting to force the director of the customs department to release several containers of petroleum products that have been at Shuwaikh Port for a long period, thus risking the safety of the main commercial port. The lawmaker alleged in his grilling that the minister has committed a number of administrative and financial irregularities that resulted in squandering public funds.

MP Azmi claimed that the minister, who was appointed in the Cabinet in July 2022, provided the Audit Bureau, the state accounting watchdog, with misleading information about important cases. He also charged the minister of failing to contain price increases, especially of food and construction items, as he did not perform his constitutional duties and allowed some merchants to exploit poor consumers.