MPs threaten to grill PM over Harbi ‘resignation’

Ban on publishing suspects’ images

KUWAIT: A number of opposition MPs yesterday warned they will grill HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah if the health minister is allowed to resign following a controversy over the minister’s bid to sack top officials. MP Yousef Al-Fadhalah said on his Twitter account that he will file to grill the prime minister on March 5 if the government allows Health Minister Jamal Al-Harbi to quit, while leaving “suspected corrupt senior bureaucrats” in their positions.

The lawmaker said that he had learned that Harbi offered his resignation on Monday during the Cabinet meeting after his demand to sack the undersecretary and a number of senior officials was not accepted by the Cabinet. The controversy over the health minister has been growing even before the November election, after reports that the cost of sending Kuwaitis for treatment abroad skyrocketed to new highs. Some MPs put it at as high as KD 750 million last year.

Opposition MPs have alleged that a majority of those sent for treatment abroad were in fact not patients but sent on what they described as “medical tourism or political medication”, under which thousands of fake patients were sent abroad to appease certain MPs. Fingers were pointed at the former health minister, who was accused of sending around 10,000 patients as a favor for MPs to win their votes against his own grilling last year.

According to Fadhalah and other lawmakers, Harbi, a former ministry assistant undersecretary, wanted to sack the ministry undersecretary and several top officials over allegations of corruption and because he could not work with them. MP Jamaan Al-Harbash held the prime minister responsible for not supporting the minister against the health ministry’s senior officials. Harbash slammed the reported resignation of the minister, adding that sacrificing the minister to keep unsuccessful officials in the ministry is another proof for the failure of the government and its inability to run the country.

Liberal MP Rakan Al-Nasef also held the prime minister responsible for the resignation of the health minister, adding that the government refused to dismiss senior officials involved in corruption cases shown by the minister to the Cabinet on Monday. He charged the government of protecting corrupt officials, and accused the entire government of being involved in corruption, adding he will start consultations with other MPs to contemplate the next step in this issue.

MP Mohammad Al-Dallal said he signed a request calling to ask the Assembly’s public funds protection committee to investigate suspected violations in the health ministry. MP Safaa Al-Hashem advised the minister not to quit but freeze all powers entrusted to the ministry’s undersecretary. She criticized several MPs who still defend the undersecretary.

Meanwhile, the legislative committee approved a proposal calling to ban the publication of suspects’ images without a decision by the public prosecution. MP Saleh Ashour proposed an amendment calling against detaining defendants in expression of opinion cases without a final verdict from the court.