Adnan Al-Shabrawi
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The General Court in Jeddah will hold a session on Aug. 12 when it is expected to issue its verdict on the case of Anwar Al-Kaabi, 19-year-old Saudi student who was electrocuted to death in one of Jeddah’s public parks three years ago.
The victim’s father, Mohammed Al-Kaabi, has accused Jeddah Municipality of negligence that led to the death of his son. He is seeking blood money and has called for those responsible in the municipality to be punished.
Al-Kaabi said his son was resting against a power pole after playing football in a public park in Al-Bawadi District when he was electrocuted.
According to the municipality, a private contractor was to blame. The municipality contracted the company to maintain and repair electricity connections and lighting across all public parks in the city.
Both the municipality and the private company have continued blaming each other for more than three years, leaving the victim’s family confused and with little closure regarding their son’s death.
Al-Kaabi said the case had been going back and forth between the General Court and the Board of Grievances, with no resolution.
He said legal representatives for both the municipality and the electricity company were absent from many court hearings.
The police report on the incident and pictures of the site were submitted to the court during the hearings, while further reports from the Civil Defense, the municipality and the police were also requested.
Al-Kaabi said drawing out the case has only added to his grief and accused both the municipality and the company of deliberately absenting themselves from hearings just to delay the court’s verdict.
"Both defendants took advantage of the fact that I do not have a lawyer to give me legal advice and maneuvered to prolong the case time,” he said.
The municipality claims that under the terms of its contract with the private company, the latter is responsible for everything relating to electricity in Jeddah’s public parks.
