Hammad, whose bank account is reportedly being investigated by the public prosecution on suspicion of receiving illegal deposits, charged that the "Godfather" of the Popular Action Bloc has received KD100 million from a Gulf country. Although he did not name the MP, but Saadoun is the leading figure of the Popular Bloc, the main opposition group in the National Assembly.
Hammad said that he has the evidence for the KD 100 million payment and that he will reveal that at the assembly’s first session in the new term on October 25. He said that the lawmaker who received the huge payment has been a member of the assembly since 1975 and then he was an ordinary employee and now "he has a fortune of around KD1 billion". The only MP who fulfills these conditions is MP Saadoun.
Hammad also said that the ongoing crisis over corruption has been sparked because of a struggle over the post of the assembly speakership, which has been raging between Saadoun, a three-time former speaker and current speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi.
Hammad said that the intensity of the struggle over the speaker post increased because of the belief that Khorafi is not running in the next parliamentary elections, but "we will convince him to run.
The lawmaker, who is a staunch supporter of the government, said the Gulf country that paid Saadoun has a famous satellite TV channel that has been abusive to Kuwait, a clear indication of Qatar.
He also said that another opposition lawmaker has been campaigning against corruption although he had admitted receiving a KD 50,000 cheque from the prime minister, a clear indication to Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabai who acknowledged having received the payment in favor of a charity organization he helps run.
The battery of charges made by Hammad is not the first by an MP reportedly involved in the bank deposits scandal but the strongest so far and could signal a major counterattack by MPs under investigation. The new attack also comes as the opposition gears up for its third popular rally opposite the National Assembly building on Wednesday, as outspoken opposition MP Mussallam Al-Barrak vowed to make unprecedented exposures regarding alleged huge money transfers.
At the opposition’s previous rally on October 5, Barrak vowed he would reveal with supporting documents huge money transfers allegedly made by the central bank through the foreign ministry to Kuwaiti embassies abroad in favor of unknown people. Barrak had implicated the prime minister in the transfers.
Barrak had sent a question to the foreign minister demanding details of the transfers and has given an ultimatum until 2.00 pm on Wednesday for the foreign minister to send the answers otherwise, he will release the classified documents. Liberal MP Saleh Al-Mulla said he will attend the rally on Wednesday but he will not speak to allow youth activist leaders time to talk.
Opposition MPs meanwhile are still waiting for a final word from the five liberal MPs who are members of the National Action Bloc on whether they will support the grilling until the end. The National Bloc MPs have said that they support the grilling against the prime minister "in principle" but will only decide whether to support an expected non-cooperation motion only after hearing the debate of the grilling.
The opposition has said it will file the grilling against the prime minster on Thursday the day the constitutional court is scheduled to issue a key ruling on another grilling filed against the prime minister filed by MPs Saadoun and Abdulrahman Al-Anjari.
The court was scheduled to issue the ruling yesterday but decided to delay the verdict until Thursday. In the meantime, the legal and legislative committee decided to continue debating a draft law on combating corruption until tomorrow after reviewing the bill with government representatives.
