Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) revealed on Wednesday the details of its handling of 15 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, stating in the first case it has arrested a former notary who currently works as an employee of the General Court in one of the governorates for illegally amending several deeds in exchange for receiving SR360,000 from the owner of the lands’ scheme, enabling a clerk to approve purchases orders and powers of attorneys along with completing an ownership transfer process of a grant to a citizen without his presence and signature. This is in addition to suspicious bank transfers to his bank account of SR286,000.

2- Meanwhile, Nazaha arrested in the second case a businessman for offering SR500,000 through another businessman (mediator), who is also arrested on a different case, to submit to a former judge for the purpose of illegally issuing a deed of endowment for the father of the first businessman.

3- Citing the third case the authority confirmed that a Deputy Head of a Center and the Chair of the Infringement Committee affiliated to one of the regions and 2 citizens were arrested, where the first accused enabled several citizens to illegally infringe on government lands in exchange for money transfers to his mother’s bank account, along with receiving SR13,000 in exchange for condoning these irregularities. The second accused, by the nature of his work as Chair of the Infringement Committee, provided citizens with information about the confidential removal process and informed them about the complaints submitted against them in exchange for receiving SR100,000 from one of them.

4- In the fourth case, a retired employee was arrested for abusing his position before his retirement as Head of the Lands Department in one of the regions by selling lands that were granted to some citizens without their knowledge using forged powers of attorney, and illegally submitting (55) lands to citizens.

5- The fifth case in the authority's statement was arresting an officer in the Ministry of Defense in one of the governorates for being caught in the act of asking a citizen for SR40,000 in exchange for government medicine (not intended for sale). On further investigation, a citizen (mediator), an employee and a pharmacist who work in a government hospital were arrested after being caught in the act of receiving SR68,000 in exchange for government medicine (not intended for sale).

6- In the sixth case the arrest of a resident who was previously deported to his country for having paid SR40,000 to a mediator in his country who works in a flight reservation office that coordinated with an airport employee to enable him to enter the Kingdom.

7- The seventh case was the arrest of a doctor who works in a government hospital in one of the regions after being caught in the act of receiving SR10,000 in exchange for moving a surgery appointment forward.

8- In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, Nazaha arrested a citizen for offering SR50,000 to a security officer of the Narcotics Control Department in one of the regions in exchange for releasing him after being caught using drugs.

9- The ninth case: Two residents were arrested along with a mediator (resident) after being caught in the act of receiving SR11,000 for finalizing the procedures of canceling an escape report on one of the residents.

10- The Head of Projects Department at the Ministry of Environment Water & Agriculture in one of the governorates was arrested for employing his father and some of his relatives in one of the contracting offices with the ministry, without his father being present at the workplace, and benefiting from his father’s salary of SR3000 deposited to his own bank account for the whole duration of the contract.

11- In another cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, a security officer of the Criminal Investigation was arrested after being caught in the act of receiving SR35,000 in exchange for illegally finalizing paperwork for a female citizen.

12- An employee of the Health Affairs in one of the governorates was arrested after being caught in the act of stealing medicine from the health affairs warehouse, store and sell them along with quantities of hashish.

13- A resident working for one of the contracting companies with the National Water Company in one of the regions was arrested after being caught in the act of receiving SR5,000 in exchange for connecting the septic system to a house of a citizen.

14- Four citizens were arrested, 2 of whom had paid sums of money to the others in exchange for changing their health status to immune without taking the vaccine.

15- With the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an employee was arrested for illegally approving paperwork in exchange for sums of money.

Nazaha affirmed 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. The Authority will continue to apply the law, with zero-tolerance against corruption.