Saudi Arabia: Senior officials jailed for graft
Judge, governor among those jailed for up to 11 years for bribery, power abuse
Abu Dhabi: A judge, a governor and a colonel in the Interior Ministry and an expropriation manager were among senior Saudi officials jailed and fined for bribery, embezzlement of public funds, money laundering and abuse of po, a senior official at the Saudi anti-graft watchdog said.
In the first case, a judge was convicted of bribery, abuse of power and breach of the integrity of the public office, sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined SR300,000, a Riyadh court ruled.
In another case, a governor was convicted of bribery and embezzlement, sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined 25,000 riyals.
A colonel in the Civil Defence Department in one of the regions was also found guilty of bribery, abuse of power for personal interest, embezzlement of public money, and money laundering, sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 600,000 riyals.
Two businessmen were convicted bribery and complicity in abuse of power, and in embezzlement of public funds and money laundering.
The first, who took bribes, was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined 1.65 million riyals, the court ruled.
The defendant also had his commercial activities related to the case shut down, and was banned from entering into contracts with ministries and other government departments.
The second businessman, who offered bribes, was sentenced to six years in prison, fined 400,000 riyals, and was barred from entering into contracts with ministries and other government departments.
His agent was found guilty of bribery and complicity in administrative misuse, sentenced to four years in prison and fined 300,000 riyals.
Another citizen was convicted of complicity in breaching the integrity of the public office and sentenced to imprisonment for six months.The SR42,000 bribe and SR700,000 in proceeds from the money laundering were confiscated.
A major, in the Ministry of the Interior was also convicted of taking bribes and power abuse and sentenced to four years in prison, fined 20,000 riyal, and had 8,402 riyals confiscated.
A lawyer was also found guilty of bribery and money laundering, sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 70,000 riyals.
Two Public Prosecution officials were convicted of bribery and money laundering. The first, who was also found guilty of breach of his job duties by disclosing information about the cases he came across because of their job, was sentenced to five and half year imprisonment and fined 50,000, while the second was sentenced to four and half years in prison and fined 50,000 riyals.
A police official was found guilty of smuggling detainees, violating his job duties as a result of mediation, forgery, and covering up a fugitive, sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 60,000 riyals.
A director of the expropriation department in a province was convicted of bribery, forgery and money laundering, sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined. Another citizen was found guilty of bribery and money laundering, sentenced to five years in prison and fined 350,000 riyals.