Nazaha announces jail term, fines in a number of corruption cases

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — An official source in the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said that preliminary rulings were issued in a number of financial and administrative corruption cases, which included two judges, citizens and expatriates and employees of various ministries indulging in corrupt practices.

In the first case, a judge was arrested after being caught red handed in the general court in one of the regions, and was accused of bribery. On referring him to the competent court, a ruling of four years in prison and a fine of SR130,000 was issued. In addition, a mediator was given 5 months imprisonment and slapped a fine of SR20,000 in this case.

The second case involved an appeal judges from one of the courts, was charged of taking advantage of his position to influence a case and receive sums of money (bribery). On referring him to the competent court, he was given four years in prison and a fine of SR100,000, while the citizen who sought to bribe the judge was imprisoned for a period of four years and handed a fine of SR100,000.

In the third case, one of the citizens duped two expatriates by promising the abolishing of the deportation penalty issued against them in exchange for a sum of SR800,000, and later accusing them of paying the sums of money in the form of bribery, money laundering and commercial concealment.

The competent court issued rulings against them calling for the citizen to be jailed for two years and the two expatriates and their employer to be imprisoned for two and a half years. The court also fined each one of them an amount of SR20,000 while confiscating the amount SR799,500. The two expatriates are to be deported from the country after their sentences end.

Two employees of the Education Department from one of the regions were accused of forgery, embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, and administrative misuse in the fourth case. The competent court ruled ten years in prison and a fine of SR1,020 for the first accused.

He also has to return the embezzled amount of SR13,202,485.25, and prevented him from traveling for a period of four years after the execution of the ruling. The second accused was sentenced to 9 months in prison and fine of SR20,000. He too was told to return the embezzled amount of SR19,319.20.

In the fifth case, two employees of the Ministry of Housing and the brother of one of the accused and a businessman were investigated. They were accused of committing bribery, money laundering, and exploiting the influence of the public office for personal interest.

The court then sentenced the first employee to an eight-year imprisonment and a fine of SR2,000,000, while also expropriating the land owned by him given as a bribe, as well as confiscating a sum of SR617,819, and preventing him from traveling for a period of four years.

The second one was sentenced eight years jail and a fine of SR2,000,000. The court also confiscated an amount of SR1,007,709), and prevented him from traveling for years, and sentencing the third to four years jail and SR1,000,000 fine, while confiscating the house registered in his name and preventing him from traveling for four years. The businessman got one year in prison and was fined SR500,000.

A number of violations and abuses were found against some of companies executing a number of projects in the city of Riyadh in the sixth case. Twenty-three people were accused of bribery, embezzlement and squandering of public money, money laundering and administrative misuse.

The court ruled the 17 persons, including ten employees in the Municipality of Riyadh, and two businessmen for jail terms ranging from six months to five years and fines totaling SR1,385,000. Also SR130,000, the amount subject to the lawsuit, is to be confiscated.

In the seventh case two officers — a major and another a non-com sergeant — from the Ministry of Defense were charged for committing embezzlement of SR3,600,000 and having a side business. The first accused was given five years and a fine of SR20,000, and the second was jailed fro two years and fined SR30,000.

An employee of the Ministry of Interior was accused of forgery and administrative misuse, resulting in public harm by disbursing sums not due to him in the eighth case. He was sentenced to three years and fined SR120,000. The court ordered the confiscation of an amount of SR67,941, and made him return the sums illegally obtained amounting to SR70,898.

Several rulings were issued against other defendants regarding administrative and financial corruption cases that required imprisonment ranging from three months to a year as well as financial fines.

The Authority reaffirms that it will continue to monitor anyone who embezzles public money or exploits their job positions to achieve personal gain or harm public interest, and that it will continue to strictly apply the law on violators.