KUWAIT, Jan 20 (Kuwait Times): Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei yesterday urged private Kuwaiti companies to distribute a month's salary as a grant to their non-Kuwaiti employees on the occasion of national events. Tabtabaei said in a statement that the Amir has ordered the distribution of KD 1,000 to each Kuwaiti citizen on the occasions of the 50th anniversary of the independence, 20th anniversary of the liberation and the fifth anniversary of his ascendance to power. He said that owners of Kuwaiti companies should take the Amir's decision as an example and distribute a grant to expatriates.

On the political front, opposition MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said yesterday that the planned grilling against the interior minister over the death under torture of a Kuwaiti citizen will be filed next week after the parliamentary probe committee completes its investigation on the case. The committee was given two weeks to submit its report to the National Assembly and Muwaizri, one of three MPs expected to submit the grilling, said it will be submitted either on Monday or Wednesday. The lawmaker also said the
grilling will be filed regardless of the outcome of the probe committee. The other two MPs expected to submit the grilling are Salem Al-Namlan and Waleed Al-Tabtabaei.

Islamist MP Faisal Al-Mislem said on Tuesday that the grilling against the minister was ready and could be submitted any moment amid speculations that it could be submitted today. Pro-government MP Ali Al-Rashed meanwhile said that filing many grillings without a true legal foundation or justification is a violation of the constitution and called on MPs for restraint.

The new threat to grill Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah came after Mohammad Ghazzai Al-Mutairi, a Kuwaiti man in his 30s, died under torture at Ahmadi police station on Jan 11. The following day, the interior minister disputed in a statement to the Assembly that the man had died under torture, accusing him of trading in alcohol and resisting arrest. But on Jan 13, the interior ministry admitted there is criminal suspicion behind Mutairi's death and on the same day, the minister submitted
his resignation. The Cabinet however has asked the minister to continue in his post to follow up the case.

So far, at least six policemen, including two officers, have been referred to the public prosecution on charges of torturing the man to death. More policemen are expected to be referred. Rashed yesterday proposed that Ahmadi police station be named after Mohammad Al-Mutairi in order to remind every policeman not to mistreat people.

In a related development, lawyer Mohammad Munwer Al-Mutairi acting for the family of Mutairi, yesterday filed a complaint against policemen to the public prosecutor, charging of a conspiracy to murder his client. The lawyer highlighted the fact that the accused policemen tried to cover up the crime by hiding the tools they used to torture the man to death. He also charged that the policemen misused the law and misled authorities in their bid to cover up the crime.

In another development, MP Musallam Al-Barrak sent a series of questions to Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah about alleged irregularities in the purchase of new oil tankers and the sale of old ones. Barrak asked the minister why Kuwait Petroleum Corp bought each tanker for $168 million compared to the international price of $125 million from the same source and under the same conditions. He also inquired why the company sold three old vessels for just $35 million when KPC had received a bette
r offer. He said the vessels were sold to a small UAE company and charged that an influential personality is related to that company.