Kuwaiti parliament debates probe cmte reports

The National Assembly on Thursday proceeded to the seventh item on its agenda regarding the discussion of a range of reports by the parliamentary probe committees in the presence of two cabinet members.
The debates focus on 10 reports on the investigations into Sheikh Jaber Stadium, the designs of Jaber bridge in Al-Sabbia area, the ceding of rest areas, and the procedures of the settlement of a Russian loan.
The reports also involve the strategic military aircraft, the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) deal to acquire five passenger planes from Jet Airways, the contract between Kuwait Oil Co. and Shell, the claims of fraudulence at the Capital Market Authority, the first stage of the northern Ezzor power plant and the smuggling of diesel fuel. In his address to the parliament session, Minister of Transport and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Issa Al-Kandari said an official letter to the State Audit Bureau (SAB) to inform it on the KAC plan to modernize its fleet and acquire the five aircraft.
He affirmed that he approved the plan and invited SAB to exercise its supervisory powers to verify the soundness of the legal, financial and technical procedures.
"In its reply letter, SAB said its mandate starts after the completion of the deal not beforehand," the minister said, noting that he contacted Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Abdulrahman Al-Nemsh to ask him to send an ACC representative to the talks with Jet Airways but the latter apologized for his inability to do so under the ACC regulations.
On his part, Minister of Oil and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr. Ali Al-Omair said the KOC-Shell affair has been probed by parliamentary committees since 2009 an is now at the hands of the Public Prosecution.
Regarding the smuggling of diesel fuel abroad, Al-Omair said the smuggled quantities are taken from the domestic market through the retail stations.
"The government tightened the control on these stations in a bid to track down the smugglers," he affirmed, noting that several persons were arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution.
"The subsidized diesel fuel is only available to registered factories, companies, and institutions, thereby enabling the government to be aware of their consumption," he added.
No decision has been made on the subjects raised at the parliamentary debate so far.