An official source in the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority stated that the Authority has initiated a number of criminal cases lately, and legal procedures against the accused individuals are underway. The most prominent cases were:
The first case: A Manager of a commercial entity and two bank employees were arrested. The Manager of the company submitted an invalid contract with one of the major companies to the bank, and the company received financing of (102,000,000) riyals, with cash deposits of (700,000) riyals in one of the bank employees’ accounts which he could not justify its source.
The second case: Director of 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 against the resident, as it appeared through investigation that the Director of Health Affairs approved a commercial entity owned by the father of the Quarantine Supervisor to implement unexecuted projects, disburse the projects money and received (500,000) riyals in return.
The 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 for the property owners in exchange for receiving (50%) of the overall compensation value.
The Fourth case: An employee of the National Water Company in one of the regions was arrested, for being caught in the act of receiving a (300,000) riyals out of a promised (600,000) riyals 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.
The fifth case: A non-commissioned officer working in one of the regions prison’s administration was arrested, for receiving (1,000,000) riyals from one of the detainees in exchange for his illegal release.
The 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 (748,404) riyals to their personal accounts and manipulating the causes of the disbursement of those amounts to training courses and varied association expenses and submitting fake receipts.
The seventh case: A resident was arrested, for being caught in the act of handing over (100,000) riyals and an iPhone to an employee of the Ministry of Commerce in exchange for canceling a fine and opening a warehouse that was closed by the ministry for commercial fraud in marble.
The eighth case: An employee of the National Center for Environmental Compliance of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for receiving (54,700) riyals in installments in exchange for completing procedures in the Environmental Support Office at the National Center for Environmental Compliance in one of the regions, and finding cash deposits in his bank accounts amounting to (714,000) riyals, which he did not provide any evidence to prove the legality of its source.
The ninth case: Two doctors of an Arab nationality who work 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 in the milk manufacturer, with the aim of increasing the company’s sales.
The tenth case: A citizen working at the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing in one of the regions was arrested, for receiving an amount of (20,000) riyals out of a promised (125,000) riyals 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
Several first instance rulings were also issued by the competent criminal court, the most prominent were:
First ruling: An officer with the rank of Colonel working in the Operation and Maintenance Department at the Ministry of Defense was convicted with first instance ruling of bribery, administrative misuse, squandering public funds, forgery, and money laundering; he was sentenced to 10 years in prison with a fine of (390,000) riyals. A chairman of one of the Companies’ Boards of Directors was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of (20,000) riyals that goes to the public treasury; as well as convicting a resident, working in the same company, of bribery and 2 years in prison with a fine of (20,000) riyals. In addition, to a (500,000) riyals fine on the company that goes to the state's public treasury.
Second ruling: The supervisor of the women’s traffic police section in one of the regions was convicted with a first instance ruling of bribery, forgery and money laundering, and sentenced for 4 years in prison including a fine of (65,000) riyals that goes to the state’s public treasury; as well as convicting the Head of the Follow-up Department in the same women’s section of bribery , forgery, and money laundering and sentenced to 4 years in prison including a fine of (70,000) riyals that goes to the state’s public treasury. A non-commissioned officer working in the same traffic police region was convicted of bribery and forgery and sentenced to 1 year and six months including a fine of 15,000 riyals. A non-commissioned officer working in the same Department was convicted of bribery, forgery, and money laundering, and sentenced to 3 years and six months in prison with a fine of (75,000) riyals, and a (4,100) riyals was confiscated. 6 female citizens were convicted of bribery and forgery, for acquiring driving licenses in an illegal manner, each one of them is sentenced to i for 1 year and six months in prison and a fine of 15,000 riyals.
Third ruling: An employee of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority in one of the regions was convicted of forgery and sentenced to 2 years in prison with a fine of 15,000 riyals. Another employee of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority in one of the regions was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 2 years in prison with a fine of 20,000 riyals. A citizen was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 2 years in prison with a fine of 20,000 riyals. Several citizens were convicted of forgery and were sentenced to 2 years in prison and a fine of 20,000 riyals divided equally among them.
Fourth ruling: An employee of the Electricity Company was convicted of bribery and money laundering and sentenced to 6 years in prison and a fine of 50,000 riyals, as well as confiscating (502,545) euros from him and deposit it into the state’s public treasury. Another employee of the Electricity Company was convicted of bribery and money laundering and sentenced to 6 years in prison with a fine of 50,000 riyals, along with confiscating 199,900 riyals and 33,000 euros from him. An employee of the Electricity Company was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 1 year and six months in prison, in addition to a fine of 15,000 riyals, along with confiscating (3,200) euros. An owner of a commercial entity was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 2 years in prison with a fine of 50,000 riyals, depriving his commercial entity from any contracts with ministries or entities, several residents working in the same commercial entity were sentenced to 4 years in prison with a fine of (40,000) riyals divided equally among them.
Fifth ruling: An officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel was convicted of bribery and forgery and sentenced to 4 years and six months in prison along with a fine of (80,000) riyals. A citizen was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 2 years in prison along with a fine of (20,000) riyals. Three citizens were convicted of bribery and were sentenced to 4 years and six months in prison with a fine of 15,000 riyals. A citizen was also convicted of a promised bribery and sentenced to 1 year in prison with a fine of 10,000 riyals.
Sixth ruling: Head of the Chamber of Commerce in one of the regions was convicted of forgery and stealing public funds and sentenced to 6 years in prison with a fine of (300,000) riyals.
The issuance of more than (100) judicial rulings convicting a number of citizens and residents for offering bribery to employees in a number of government sectors and their prison terms ranged from three years to six months.
The Authority appreciates the efforts of government entities in fighting financial and administrative corruption, as well as, the development of policies and procedures that promote speedy achievements which shut any inlets for corruption, and it commends their cooperation.