JEDDAH — Anti-corruption authority in Saudi Arabia has initiated more criminal cases in different sectors in the Kingdom.

In a report posted on its website, the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said that cases are related to fraud, bribery, and financial corruption and involve high profile officials.

The authority cited details of some of the most prominent cases which are as follow:

1. The case involves a retired major general of the Presidency of State Security, a former adviser at the ministry of interior, a retired brigadier general from the Ministry of Interior, two businessmen and two residents of Arab nationality who worked as mediators. All of them have been arrested.

The first and the second established an enterprise and obtained through it a contract for the supply of electronic devices to the interior ministry worth SR11 million. The first paid an amount of SR1.6 million for the third in exchange for awarding the contract.

The first also received an amount of SR7 million in exchange for awarding a supply contract to a company worth more than SR23 million and agreed with another businessman to obtain a percentage of the profits of the supply contracts with the Presidency of State Security in exchange for them to be awarded to his own company.

2. The arrest of the former director-general of the financial and administrative affairs of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, and a businessman. The first bought a property worth SR8.6 million, and upon learning that the Red Crescent Authority's need for real estate, he transferred the ownership of the property to the second, and then submitted the property to the authority and transferred its ownership to it for an amount of nearly SR14 million.

3. In cooperation with the General Customs Authority, a citizen and 3 residents were arrested when they delivered SR3.6 million to a customs clearance office, in order to facilitate the entry of two containers having tobacco products without paying the due fees of SR10.46 million.

4. In cooperation with the foreign ministry, a plenipotentiary minister who had previously worked as an ambassador to a country in Africa was arrested; because he issued 203 visas in an irregular manner in exchange for an amount of SR3.000 for each, and the total amount obtained by him, within one year, amounted to SR609,000.

5. The arrest of a former ambassador and two employees in the foreign ministry for obtaining sums of money from contracting companies with the ministry in exchange for awarding contracts and following up on the disbursement of their financial dues from the ministry, as the total amount they received reached SR9.2 million.

6. In cooperation with the General Authority of Zakat and Tax, an employee of the authority and an employee of the execution court have been arrested. In this case, the first deleted registered entries on a businessman amounting to SR221,243, and scheduled entries of an amount of SR211,000 in an irregular manner, while paying SR50,000 to the second in exchange for canceling an execution order against him.

7. The arrest of a university employee for writing checks from the university's bank account for SR2.6 million, and deposited them in his bank account in an irregular manner.

8. The arrest of a former governorate municipality head for directing the grants committee he was chairing to allocate 14 plots of land in prime locations for his children and relatives in that governorate.

9. The arrest of a university employee for receiving SR180,000 in installments from one of the operating companies at the university, in exchange for providing information to the company, facilitating its work in obtaining operational contracts, and the disbursement of the financial statements for the company.

10. In cooperation with the interior ministry, two non-commissioned officers, one of them at the General Directorate of Passports and the other at the General Directorate for Narcotics Control in one of the regions were arrested, red-handed, when they received SR75,000 in exchange for them to change the testimony of witnesses in one of the cases in the court.

11. The arrest of two navy colonel officers, a retired officer, and a businessman for receiving SR500,000 from the retired officer in exchange for awarding contracts in the navy to a company that the businessman owns.

12. In cooperation with the interior ministry and the General Court of Audit, former secretary-general of the National Anti-Narcotics Committee was arrested for obtaining SR801,520 in exchange for awarding a contract to hold exhibitions on a company premise with the General Directorate for Narcotics Control.

The authority said it 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 the accountability extends far beyond the retirement of any individual, as the crimes of financial and administrative corruption have no statute of limitations, and that it will apply what the law rules against the violators with zero tolerance.

The authority also said it 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, and it commends the cooperation of those entities and the media on their effort in promoting integrity, transparency and fighting corruption. — SG