(MENAFN- Arab Times) The Fatwa and Legislation Department has declared that it is unconstitutional for the National Assembly to request from the State Audit Bureau detailed reports on the pay packages of political leaders such as salaries, allowances, bonuses and other entitlements from 2011 until 2014, reports Al-Anba daily. Sources disclosed the salaries, allowances, bonuses and other entitlements paid to State officials are confidential as stipulated in the Constitution.

Sources pointed out the law does not give the State Audit Bureau the right to verify the pay packages granted to these officials.

They explained the bureau is only authorized to look into the public budget as a whole without the names and positions of officials. Sources added a circular will be sent soon to the ministries and government departments, instructing them to present budgets as a whole to the State Audit Bureau for the period starting from 2011 to 2014 without mentioning the names or positions of the concerned officials.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to file an appeal at the Constitutional Court against the Supreme Judicial Council's decision to grant financial entitlements worth five-year salaries as well as salaries to judges who served for more than 35 years, reports Aljarida daily quoting an informed source. He said the Supreme Judicial Council took this decision based on the demands made by the judges, after which the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance were directed to implement the decision.