Saudi Arabia charges government officials with corruption

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) confirmed it has arrested several high-ranking officers and officials tied up in cases of corruption.

An official source Nazaha stated  the authority has initiated a number of criminal cases lately, and legal procedures against the accused individuals are underway.

First case: A manager of a commercial entity and two bank employees were arrested. The manager submitted an invalid contract with one of the major companies to the bank, and the company received financing of SR102 million. Two bank employees were also arrested. The authority found cash deposits of SR700,000 in one of the bank employees’ accounts which he could not explain.

Second case: The Director of the Health Affairs, and the Quarantine Supervisor in one of the regions and a resident working for one of the contracting companies were arrested, for offering a job to a female citizen in exchange for giving up a complaint of extortion.

She had previously filed a case against the resident, as it appeared through investigation that the Director approved a commercial entity owned by the father of the Quarantine Supervisor to implement unexecuted projects, disbursed the project money and received SR500,000 in return.

Third case: An officer with the rank of Colonel and a non-commissioned officer working in the Supervisory Committee on border demarcation and a citizen were arrested, for agreeing to manipulate the areas and real estate located on the border to receive financial compensation disbursed to the property owners in exchange for receiving 50 per cent of the overall compensation value.

Fourth case: An employee of the National Water Company in one of the regions was arrested, after being caught in the act of receiving SR300,000 out of a promised SR 600,000 from a real estate company in exchange for completing the procedures for delivering water for a project to construct residential villas affiliated to the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing.

Fifth case: A non-commissioned officer working in one of the region's prison administration was arrested for receiving SR1 million from one of the detainees in exchange for his illegal release.

Sixth case: Two female citizens in one of the regions were arrested for establishing and managing a charitable association, collecting donations, and transferring up to SR748,404 to their personal accounts.

Seventh case: A resident was arrested, after being caught in the act of handing over SR100,000 and an iPhone to an employee of the Ministry of Commerce in exchange for canceling a fine and reopening a warehouse that was closed by the Ministry for commercial fraud in marble.

8th case: An employee of the National Center for Environmental Compliance of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture was arrested, for receiving SR54,700 in installments in exchange for completing procedural paperwork in the Environmental Support Office at the National Centre for Environmental Compliance in one of the regions, and finding cash deposits in his bank accounts amounting to SR714,000, which he could not explain.

Ninth case: Two Arab doctors working in a hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health were arrested for issuing incorrect medical prescriptions with the aim of dispensing baby milk (not intended for sale) and receiving money and gifts in return from three (arrested) residents, who work as marketers for the milk manufacturer, with the aim of reselling these products to increase the company’s sales.

Tenth case: A citizen working at the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing in one of the regions was arrested, for receiving SR20,000 out of a promised SR125,000 SR from an investor in exchange for dividing a property lease contract between the investor and the municipality with the aim of reducing the value of the contract.