Corruption within the government
The Daily Star (Kuwait Edition), Thursday, September 29, 2005

Ahmad Zakaria, Daily Star staff

A prominent Islamic legislator stated that the government's recent efforts in combating corruption proved to be useless, as the government itself is involved in its own corruption.
MP Nasser Al-Sane said that corruption will damage the development process in the country. He added Tuesday in a symposium organized by the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), entitled 'Reasons Behind Corruption,' that the interference of both the Cabinet and a number of legislators made combating corruption a difficult struggle.
"Corruption isn't only found in Kuwait; it is present in countries all over the world. Those who practice it use the most recent technologies to cover up their tracks. This makes it difficult to prove anything against them, so people end up feeling frustrated and just give up," Al-Sane said.
"Corruption is the main obstacle standing in the way of investments. People need to shed light on this issue either by using the media to expose it or by filing suits against those who practice it. I also think that non-governmental organizations should allocate more money to help fight this problem. I was surprised when I learned that one of the ministries spent 720,000 Kuwaiti dinars to buy ice. This proves that there is no type of monitoring system overlooking those who control the nation's wealth," he continued.
Furthermore, Al-Sane spoke about the Northern Oil Field Project, which he said is a clear example of corruption. He noted that the government is trying to conceal vital information from Parliament, because it feels that the information might hinder the project's approval. Al-Sane reaffirmed the ICM's rejection of the project, especially since its request for the government to set regulations for the project was ignored. He went on to praise the Parliamentary Legislations Committee's rejection of the draft law approving the project. The committee refused to pass the law on grounds that it needs more information regarding the long-term effects of the project.
Al-Sane concluded by stating that the ICM will remain firmly against the law, despite the fact that the head of the project, Ahmad Al-Erbeed is a member of the ICM.
For his part, former legislator Adnan Abdulsamad stated that corruption has turned from individual practice to being carried out by distinguished institutions and organizations.
"Some lawmakers in charge of combating corruption are involved in it themselves. Bribes have become common practice in some government institutions. Media conglomerates make it much easier to cover up this problem, as none of the mediums are able to expose it,"Abdulsamad said.
"Different political blocs have not been able to tackle this issue, because they have their own inner conflicts to deal with. Facing corruption is a difficult process with serious consequences, but it must be done," he continued.
Abdulsamad stated that corruption in Kuwait is at its strongest in three main areas; purchasing weapons, the oil sector and investments.