KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s government yesterday disputed allegations by the opposition that tens of billions of dollars were stolen from public funds by former senior officials, saying documents supporting the claims are fake.
Prominent opposition leader Mussallam Al Barrak told a huge rally in Kuwait City on Tuesday that former senior officials stole around $50bn from public funds over the past seven years. He provided foreign bank accounts and documents showing transfers that he said backed up his allegations.
Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah yesterday told parliament, which demanded a debate on the issue, that Barrak’s claims were unsubstantiated. “I received the documents yesterday. They were simple white sheets containing tables (of figures) and they do not qualify even to be examined,” he said.
Finance Minister Anas Al Saleh said the documents were no more than tables of figures which could not be properly investigated as they lacked crucial details. “The documents show huge amounts but are without sources or dates. The central bank governor agreed to this assessment,” Saleh told MPs. Parliament Speaker Marzouk Al Ghanem too alleged that the documents were fake.
At the rally, the first in over a year, the opposition claimed the funds were smuggled to accounts in foreign banks including one in Israel — with which Kuwait has no diplomatic or commercial ties. It also urged the government to hire an international company to trace the funds. Justice Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Sabah said the government would file a lawsuit against Barrak for making allegations without evidence. AFP
