Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Anas Al-Saleh

Suspicious transactions with abroad to prosecution -- Min. Al-Saleh

29/05/2020

KUWAIT-- The financial probe department (of the Ministry of Finance) has finalized scrutinizing reports about transactions purportedly involving Kuwait-based companies with a Chinese company and former Malaysian government, a senior official announced on Friday.

The department has also notified the public prosecutor due to suspicious violation of Law 106/2013 with respect of combating money laundering and terrorism funding, said the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Anas Al-Saleh.

Minister Al-Saleh said in a statement that the steps were taken in line with the Cabinet Resolution on May 20, 2020, tasking supervisory authorities to probe media reports about corruption-tainted transactions, related directly or indirectly to companies based in Kuwait, or parties or government officials with a Chinese company and a former Malaysian government, regarding an enterprise executed outside Kuwait.

The cabinet has been informed with conclusion of the investigations by the financial probe division and the notification to the public prosecutor, the minister said.

The notification, he has added, refers all parties linked with these dealings, as well as the companies, to the public prosecution to pursue legal proceedings, Al-Saleh declared.

Moreover, the Audit Bureau, simultaneously, continues examining and revising these transactions to determine whether there has been any misappropriation with public funds and infringement on interests of any Kuwaiti government department.

The government measures to protect public funds emanate from its staunch advocacy of its constitutional duties, namely protection of public funds, Al-Saleh emphasized.

The government will continue to deal seriously with such media reports or what may transpire from the probes with regard of any mishandling of the public funds, he said, affirming its determination to take legal action against any such wrongdoing.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah has given explicit instructions to deal with these cases firmly and applying the law on every one "no matter how socially and professionally he (or she) may be," he said further.