MoCI vows to control meat prices during Aussie livestock ban
KUWAIT: Opposition MP Riyadh Al-Adasani said yesterday that two current lawmakers and one former MP, in addition to an unspecified number of businessmen, have been referred for legal investigations over inflated bank accounts. The lawmaker said the suspects have been sent to the public prosecution for legal investigation over funds that were deposited to their accounts without any reasonable explanation.
Adasani said that one of the men saw KD 11.7 million enter his account between the beginning of 2016 and Oct 2017, although he is not involved in business and does not have any business interests. This account saw suspected transactions worth over KD 10 million. The owner of the account also withdrew over KD 2 million in cash. He also said a member of the 2013 Assembly transferred some KD 600,000 in Aug 2016 without explaining the reasons for the transfer.
Adasani however did not disclose the names of the men under investigation, but he said he has the details. He however added former MP Abdullah Al-Tamimi had sued him because he accused him of receiving money from the prime minister, MP Mohammed Tana had confessed that he was offered a fortune to resign and that MP Faisal Al-Kandari had filed a case against him. Adasani held the ministers of finance and interior responsible for not taking the necessary legal procedures against suspected cases of money laundering and others and vowed he will grill them in the National Assembly.
In late 2011, the public prosecution interrogated 13 MPs for inflated bank accounts amid allegations of political bribery, but the prosecution freed them and shelved the case over a lack of legislation to press charges against them. Adasani however stressed that the law has been amended and there are enough laws like the conflict of interests and anti-money laundering laws and the penal code. These laws have been amended and new legislations have been issued, so there is no lack in legislation, he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan stressed the ministry is keen on implementing law number 10/1979 and the amended law number 117/2013 pertaining supervising trading in various goods and controlling their prices through inspection campaigns on various co-ops, markets, outlets, restaurants and butcheries.
Responding to a parliamentary inquiry concerning the measures taken by the ministry in preparation for suspending Australian sheep exports to Kuwait and other GCC states for two to four months annually, which might lead to unjustified meat price increases, Roudhan stressed that the consumer protection department will be alerted to follow up meat prices and control them on a 24/7 basis, adding that the ministry's complaints hotline 135 will always be ready to receive complaints.
In addition, Roudhan said the ministry is about to offer an e-system project to control prices for public bidding, adding that the system will provide consumers with weekly pricelists of around 500 items so that they can monitor prices themselves and choose which outlet to purchase products from.
By B Izzak and A Saleh