US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4056

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004056 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, EFIN, PREL, PGOV, ETTC, KU, TERROR FINANCE 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT SEEKING INDEPENDENT AUDITOR FOR CHARITABLE 
ORGANIZATIONS 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 3831 
     B. KUWAIT 3393 
 
(U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU)  The Ambassador used a September 12 meeting on 
other issues (septels) to inform Minister of Social Affairs 
and Labor Faisal Al-Hajji of the September 20-23 visit of 
Department of Treasury Director of Foreign Assets Control 
(OFAC)  Robert Werner.  He told the Minister that among the 
issues of interest to OFAC was oversight of charitable 
organizations and how they spend collected funds.  The 
Ambassador also advised the Minister of a Central Bank 
recommendation to hire an auditor for this function (ref A). 
Al-Hajji reported that the GOK had issued a tender for 
independent auditors for charities and shared U.S. concerns 
about the need for effective monitoring of charitable 
spending.  He further assured the Ambassador that the GOK was 
paying close attention to Kuwaiti charities, and reports of 
misuse of funds could usually be attributed to improprieties 
committed by representatives hired by the charities and not 
the organizations themselves. 
 
2.  (U)  The Ambassador asked the Minister to meet with OFAC 
Director Werner.  The Minister agreed readily. 
 
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LEBARON