RIYADH - Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) revealed on Tuesday the details of its handling of 16 corruption cases including officers and government employees.

The authority pointed out that it had initiated a number of criminal cases during the last period, stressing that it is taking legal measures against the accused.

1 - Nazaha clarified in its report on the details of the cases, as it said that in the first case it has arrested in cooperation of the Presidency of State Security and the Saudi Central Bank, a bank employee due to his accepting of gifts, travel and accommodation expenses from a citizen and a resident, who were also arrested.

Nazaha stated that the bank employee served the citizen and the resident in exchange for depositing cash of unknown source amounting to SR7,000,000 in bank accounts belonging to a commercial entity. As the investigations revealed that the total money deposited in accounts of the commercial entity by the citizen and the resident via banks operating in the Kingdom amounted to SR136,000,000 transferred outside the Kingdom within 5 months.

2 - Meanwhile, Nazaha has arrested on the second case a resident working in an Engineering Consulting Office in one of the regions, for being caught in the act of receiving SR400,000 as a first payment of an agreed upon SR2,800,000 in exchange for illegally finalizing the procedures of issuing a building permit for an industrial workshop complex.

The investigation revealed the involvement of a municipality employee who was arrested for being caught in the act of receiving SR1,000,000. as well as arresting another resident involved in the process.

3 - On the third case the authority confirmed that a resident working as an engineer in one of the telecommunication companies and two residents (mediators) were arrested for being caught in the act of receiving SR225,000 out of a promised SR450,000 in exchange for extending the contract of installing the company’s networks with a certain commercial entity.

4 - In the fourth case, a resident was arrested for being caught in the act of receiving SR162,000 from an owner of a warehouse, in exchange for reducing a fine on the warehouse, while the investigations has showed that the beneficiary of this amount is the Director of Technical Affairs in the municipality (arrested) who had illegally received a total of SR1,000,000, which he used to buy real estate.

5 - The fifth case came in the authority's statement was arresting An employee in a municipality of one of the governorates for being caught in the act of receiving SR150,000 out of a promised SR250,000 in exchange for approving a pass from a municipal committee on an illegal building.

6 - While the sixth case were arresting an employee in the 8th grade at the Security and Safety Department of the Health Affairs in one of the governorates for being caught in the act of receiving SR50,000 and that was in exchange for facilitating the procedures of submitting a security and safety requirements project implemented by one of the commercial entities. A resident (mediator) was also arrested for negotiating with the entity.

7 - The seventh arrest was for a resident working as a Medical Operations Analyst in one of the charitable associations and that for being caught in the act of receiving 15,000 SR in exchange for issuing an approval to pay all medical treatment expenses of one of the residents.

8 - The eighth case: Nazaha stated that it has arrested the Director of the Reports and Violations Department in a municipality of one of the governorates for being caught in the act of receiving 5,000 SR in exchange for removing a referral notice placed on the building and allowing the owner to continue renovating it without obtaining a valid license from the municipality.

9 - While the ninth case was for a municipal inspector was arrested for being caught in the act of receiving SR1,000 in exchange for not fining a workshop for not having a valid license.

10 - Nazaha has arrested on its tenth case 2 employees of the Traffic Department in one of the governorates and 4 tow truck drivers (residents) and was that in cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, due to receiving 3,000 SR per month in exchange for handing over radio equipment to the residents to use these devices in locating accidents on the roads and tow the damaged vehicles.

11 - In another cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, Nazaha arrested on its eleventh case, two non-commissioned officers working in the Traffic Department in one of the governorates for stealing funds collected from traffic accidents as a compensation to the owners of damaged vehicles and not submitting those funds to them.

12 - The twelfth case went to an employee in a municipality of one of the governorates, was arrested for illegally selling sand from the areas under his supervision.

13 - While Nazaha and the Ministry of Interior in the thirteenth case, has arrested three non-commissioned officers working in the Traffic Department of one of the regions, and a resident for selling impounded motorcycles to the resident after disabling the surveillance cameras.

14 - In cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, Nazaha on its fourteenth case stated that, an employee working in an affiliated hospital in one of the regions was arrested for receiving money in exchange for issuing sick leaves.

15 - The fifteenth case went to a superintendent working in a school, as he was arrested for receiving money from residents to register their children in the school.

16 - While Nazaha in the sixteenth case has arrested an employee in the Ministry of Health and 2 citizens (mediators) for receiving money in exchange for modifying the health status of a number of citizens to (immune) without taking the vaccine.

Nazaha confirmed on the continuation to pursue anyone who exploits the public office to achieve personal gain or harm public interest in any way, and that the accountability extends far beyond the retirement of individuals, as these types of crimes have no statute of limitations. As it warned that it will continue to apply the law, with zero-tolerance against any corrupt practices. SG