MP al-Saabri criticizes electronic passport and visa contracts as unlawful
Shafaq News / On Saturday, MP Hussein Al-Saabri expressed during a press conference his disapproval of the decision issued by the federal government, upon which the Ministry of Interior relied in the execution of the electronic passport and electronic entry visa contract. He asserted that the decision is deemed unlawful and in violation of established legislation.
During the conference, he highlighted that over the past six months, he had systematically advanced through a sequence of parliamentary and supervisory roles, encompassing information requests, document requisitions, field visits, written parliamentary inquiries, and direct engagement with various ministries.
With continuous efforts over several months and ongoing communication with the Council's leadership, al-Saabri sought the inclusion of the Interior Minister's presence in the parliamentary session.
His goal was to provide the Council with facts regarding unconstitutional and illegal actions within Contract No. 5 of 2021, an agreement signed between the Ministry of Interior and the "Afaq Al-Sama" company, concerning the electronic passport, visa, and electronic gates project.
He further contended that the contract lacks legitimacy and holds no legal foundation, thus rendering the Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2021 null and void.
Al-Saabri asserted that the colossal scale of corruption within the contract equates to what he termed as the "second heist of the century."
He deplored the corrupt's ability to camouflage their misdeeds through legal verbiage, infiltrating state institutions, and influencing decision-makers.
The MP called upon the Parliament to establish a dedicated parliamentary committee to investigate the corruption of the "second heist of the century" within Contract No. 5 of 2021.
He also urged an end to what he referred to as the "farce of imposing costs on citizens for the issuance of electronic passports under the pretext of fees." He emphasized that this should occur after exposing the contractual violations and legal breaches, while simultaneously ensuring the reimbursement of amounts citizens paid.
Additionally, al-Saabri appealed to the government to introduce the Government Contract Law to the Parliament. He stressed that this is essential to curbing corruption and corrupt individuals, due to the fragility and broad discretion exhibited by existing legislation.
He continued by stating that their actions in addressing the "second heist of the century" will not cease after today's session. Further steps will follow, including referring the matter to the Prime Minister for investigation, suspending the imposition of illegal fees and costs, presenting the case to the Public Prosecution for investigation into squandering public and private funds, and submitting the case to the Integrity Commission for investigation.
Al-Saabri concluded, "We stand in solidarity with the PM and his government in executing the ministerial program. Nevertheless, we shall continue our oversight role, particularly concerning unlawful measures related to electronic passport issuance, as well as the repercussions of the ministry's contract with the aforementioned company. This contract has led to social and economic discrimination among citizens, which constitutes a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. We will also continue pursuing legal actions against the imposition of fees and costs by all ministries, ensuring the absence of arbitrary actions by government institutions."
