Saudi seeking a third wife publicly shamed for forgery

JEDDAH — A Saudi man forged medical documents of his wife to justify his marriage to another non-Saudi woman, Al-Madinah reported. A source from the Ministry of Justice said the man in his 50s was already married to two Saudi women and applied to take a non-Saudi woman as his third bride. “The man hired an agent to follow up with his paperwork who told him that the only way to expedite the process was by claiming that his first wife was terminally ill. The man submitted forged medical documents to support his false claim,” said the source. The source also said legal authorities found out that the documents were forged and forwarded them to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution. “The man will face trial at the Yanbu court. He was accused with forgery and he has admitted to the crime. The man elaborated that he needed to marry a third wife but could not marry a Saudi woman for personal reasons,” said the source. The source also said the man explained that he applied to the Ministry of Interior to marry a non-Saudi woman. “The man went to Riyadh to contract with an expediter to follow up with his case and ensure that all the paperwork is processed in the quickest possible time. “The expediter told me that in order to get the ministry’s agreement on my request, I must present evidence that my wife suffers from an illness or is undergoing health difficulties,” the man was quoted as saying by the source. The source said the man told the expediter that his wife was indeed ill. “The man said the expediter included papers in the request that he was not aware of. The man said if he had known that the expediter had forged some documents he would have not agreed to it. The man said he is a father of more than 10 children. He added he is a teacher with limited income and he fears losing his job and jeopardizing his family,” said the source. The source also said that after the judge saw the man’s case and his family circumstances he opted for alternative punishment. “The judge sentenced the man to public shaming and obliged him to sign a pledge to never commit a forgery again.