Gulf | Bahrain
Bahraini minister cleared of power abuse charge
A Bahraini minister facing charges of financial and management irregularities was cleared on Monday by an investigating committee.
- By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 21:37 May 12, 2008
Manama: A Bahraini minister facing charges of financial and management irregularities was cleared on Monday by an investigating committee.
Mansour Bin Rajab, Municipal Affairs and Agriculture Minister, was found not guilty of the charges of abusing his position to engage in unlawful administrative and financial practices and violating the constitution by keeping business interests after he was appointed in the cabinet.
The decision by the Al Wefaq-dominated finance and legal committee came less than one week after the services committee absolved State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmad Bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa of "deceiving the country officials and MPs by giving misleading information about the true figures of the population."
The decision was strongly criticised by Al Wefaq who attacked the MPs who cleared the minister, saying that they distorted the purpose and spirit of the parliament.
Corruption
Abdul Halim Murad, MP for Al Asala, on Monday retaliated by attacking Al Wefaq for not condemning Bin Rajab, saying that they supported corruption and abuses at high levels.
"This is scandalous. All the evidence points to the guilt of the minister in abusing his powers," he told press after the vote.
But MP Jasem Hussain, representing Al Wefaq, said that the evidence presented to the committee was not sufficient and conclusive and did not warrant a guilty verdict.
"We also need to fine-tune the article in the constitution about the minister's business interests," he said in reference to the charge that Bin Rajab kept his business interests after he was appointed minister.
Article 48 states that a minister "may not conduct industrial, commercial or financial business or combine his ministerial position with membership on the board of directors of any company."
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