Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi anti-graft authority has recently initiated as many as 123 cases of financial crimes in different sectors, according to an official source.

The source highlighted some of the following cases being pursued by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) involving fraud, bribery, and financial corruption.

1. A Nazaha employee, the head of the anti-encroachment department in a governorate's municipality, and a citizen were arrested for manipulating one of the cases favoring the relative of the municipality employee.

2. A judge, a former member of the Shoura Council, an ex-undersecretary of a governorate, a former officer with the rank of brigadier general, a lawyer, and three citizens were arrested for executing two deeds for a total area of 169.2 million square meters in one of the governorates in an irregular manner. The deeds were later canceled with the help from the Ministry of Justice.

3. A former officer with the rank of a lieutenant general in one of the ministries and a director of one of the foreign contractual companies with the ministry were arrested for obtaining sums of money amounting to SR400 million in exchange for awarding projects in favor of that company and other companies. The accused used his bank accounts outside the Kingdom to receive the sums transferred from inside the Kingdom, as well as making sales of real estate inside the Kingdom with higher prices.

4. The arrest of a faculty member in a university and an employee in a court for adding 27 documents to an existing case against the first accused with the aim of manipulating the case in favor of the first.

5. In cooperation with the Public Prosecution, two employees in the public prosecution and an employee in the Ministry of Commerce, and citizens (mediators) were arrested for requesting an amount of SR5.3 million in exchange for ending a case pending at the Public Prosecution and the Ministry of Commerce branch in one of the governorates.

6. In cooperation with the Presidency of State Security, an officer with the rank of brigadier general, colonel, and a non-commissioned officer working in one of the military sectors were arrested for obtaining sums of money in exchange for exempting some employees from official working hours and accepting new recruits for military courses.

7. In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, (the General Traffic Department), an employee and a non-commissioned officer working at the traffic department of one of the regions and a city employee were arrested. The first and second accused were arrested for the replacement of vehicle plates in an irregular manner in exchange for an amount of SR1,400 for each, and the total amount obtained by the first and second from the third reached SR1.4 million in a month.

8. The arrest of an employee working for the Ministry of Health in one of the regions and an employee of a contracting company with the Ministry to recruit security guards for one of the sites. The first was arrested for requesting an amount of SR450,000 and employing a group of his acquaintances with the second in exchange for non-compliance with the terms of the contract.

9. The arrest of an engineer in the National Water Company and two residents working for a contracting company to implement one of the projects of the National Water Company, where the first accused requested by the mediation of the two residents, an amount of SR100.000 in exchange for amending the notes in the receipt of one of the executed projects.

10. The arrest of a former director of a public hospital in one of the regions for having enabled an institution belonging to one of his relatives to obtain projects for a total amount of SR1.49 million in an irregular manner.

11. Four employees of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture were arrested in a governorate while they received an amount of SR73,500 in exchange for manipulating one of the auctions in the Ministry.

The source said that the anti-graft authority will continue to pursue anyone who exploits the public office to achieve personal gain or harm the public interest in any way possible and that it is continuing to hold the negligent parties accountable and apply what the law rules against them with no tolerance.

The authority also appreciates the efforts of government entities in fighting financial and administrative corruption and the development of policies and procedures that promote speedy achievements which shut any inlets for corruption.

It commends the cooperation of those entities and the media on their effort in promoting integrity, transparency, and fighting corruption, and it would like as well to thank the citizens and residents for reporting to it through its available channels, including the toll-free number 980 for any practices involving financial or administrative corruption that would undermine the efforts of the government to support and promote the path of comprehensive development in light of Vision 2030.

The authority also extended its thanks and appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for the unlimited support to the authority in order to exercise its jurisdiction and perform its tasks in fighting financial and administrative corruption in all its forms and manifestations. ​