Second Kuwaiti Minister Resigns over Grilling

Kuwaiti Commerce and Industry Minister Abdulmohsen al-Mudej resigned Wednesday, two days after an MP called for him to be questioned in parliament, the second such case in as many weeks.

The official KUNA news agency said the emir accepted the resignation of Mudej, a liberal, Western-educated minister appointed in January 2014.

Last week, Electricity, Water and Public Works Minister Abdulaziz al-Iraheem quit after he had indirectly accused some lawmakers of taking bribes to grill him.

No reason was cited by KUNA for the resignation of Mudej, who was also deputy premier.

But MP Roudhan al-Roudhan filed a request on Monday to grill the minister for allegedly violating the commercial law.

The lawmaker held Mudej responsible for not forcing the board of directors of a local company to hold a meeting, resulting in heavy losses for small shareholders.

Mudej, 66, was Kuwait's oil minister between 1994 and 1996, and he also served as a member of parliament between 1992 and 2003.

The minister was grilled in parliament last year over alleged financial and administrative violations, but he denied all the charges and remained in his post.

KUNA said Finance Minister Anas al-Saleh was named acting commerce and industry minister.