Visit institute before passing judgment, Al Gaith tells FNC

The Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs was accused by the Federal National Council of misusing funds belonging to the institute of which he is chairman.

In a heated debate during the council's session on Monday, members accused Saeed Khalfan Al Gaith, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the board of the Institute for Administrative Development, of misappropriating and misusing funds allocated to the institute.

The charges were based on a committee report that said the institute had spent about Dh2 million on two UAE nationals to complete their higher education abroad.

The first was a female on whom more than Dh1.15 million was spent before the scholarship was discontinued by the institute.

The second case is that of a male student who failed to obtain his degree after spending over Dh840,000. Both students returned to the UAE without their degrees.

FNC members demanded that this money be reimbursed and the money returned to the institute because these students failed to complete their studies.

They also said the institute's vehicles are not being used appropriately and the institute does not record where they go and for what purpose.

Responding to the accusations, Al Gaith said the members had come up with these charges without actually visiting the institute.

"You should come and visit the institute instead of just passing judgments without leaving your offices," he said.

On the two students who were sent on scholarships by the institute, he said: "We do not send people on such scholarships unless they meet certain criteria.

"Most of the money comes from their salaries. The scholarship money is less that one third of the total amount."

It was the responsibility of the cultural attaché of the country in which the students are studying to update the institute on the academic progress of the scholars.

Al Gaith also said there is no squandering of the institute's funds because they only have one car.

To this, Ali Al Hamrani, FNC rapporteur, accused the speaker of not giving the members a chance to defend themselves.

"His excellency is accusing us of not being efficient in our work and that we improvise our views. Why don't you give us a chance to talk?" Dr Hamrani said.

Speaker Saleh Al Shal joined the fray, calling for the setting up of a committee to investigate the institute's progress and work.

The speaker consulted the council's legal adviser who immediately said the proposal was not valid because it was against the constitution.

He said that such a proposal should come through proper channels rather than be decided at the session.

By this time tempers had cooled and Al Gaith welcomed the development of the committee and invited members to visit the institute. "The council was established to assist the government in its decision to develop the UAE.

"I encourage you to investigate and look into the institute's progress," Al Gaith said.

The debate

- Members accuse Saeed Khalfan Al Gaith, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the board of directors for the Institute for Administrative Development, of irregularities in use of the institute's funds.

- The members say the institute does not record where and for what purpose its car is used.

- The minister says FNC members should visit the institute before levelling the charges.

- Speaker Saleh Al Shal joins the fray and calls for the setting up of a committee to investigate the institute's progress and work. The council's legal cell turns this down.