Nazaha arrests corruption suspects

JEDDAH: The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, known as Nazaha, announced that it arrested a number of citizens and residents over corruption cases, adding that legal procedures against the suspects were underway.

In a statement, Nazaha said that a government company executive was arrested for abusing his power for personal gain. 

In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, Nazaha also ordered the arrest of a brigadier for receiving SR450,000 ($120,000) from a company in exchange for facilitating its contracting procedures with the ministry. The owner and the CEO of the company, Arab nationals, were also arrested.

The brigadier, Nazaha added, had received SR12,000 from a resident on a promise to issue the permits necessary for the resident to perform Hajj.

The military man was also accused of granting fake approval to a hotel to host a special occasion and participating in the illegal transfer of land ownership in exchange for SR12.5 million. Two national mediators and two employees from the Ministry of Justice were also taken in.

Nazaha also arrested a former employee at the Department of Lands and Properties who acted as a municipal representative, forging and transferring the deeds of four residential properties to commercial plots with a market value of SR10 million.

In another case, Nazaha said that a municipal employee was arrested for requesting SR1.5 million from a woman in exchange for illegally completing the procedures for the expropriation of land, as well as requesting SR50,000 from a citizen for illegally issuing housing documents.

Among the other arrestees was a resident who was caught paying SR20,000, out of a promised SR180,000, in exchange for issuing 30 qualification certificates for operating heavy machinery involved in the oil and gas industry.

The anti-corruption authority also arrested a retired company employee for receiving SR180,000 from another company in exchange for renewing the company’s contract, disbursing its dues and ignoring violations in the contracts.

Nazaha also arrested an officer at the General Directorate of Civil Defense for giving misleading information about the SR160,000 he lent and providing fake back-payment receipts.

A resident was arrested for receiving a down payment of SR20,000, out of a promised SR100,000, in exchange for illegally completing a real estate financing transaction for a citizen.

Another case in the corruption raid involved three citizens who paid bribes of SR64,000 for illegally adding members to their family registry, claiming that they were their children.

In its statement, Nazaha added that two citizens, working for a municipality (in an unspecified region) along with two residents, who acted as mediators, were all arrested for receiving money, ranging between SR250 and SR10,000, in exchange for illegally finalizing licensing procedures for commercial shops.

Among the other cases Nazaha announced were the arrest of a municipality employee who demanded SR5,000 to deliver seized machinery equipment, a security guard who received SR5,000 from a resident in exchange for not deporting his son, and a police officer who issued an incorrect criminal record for his brother, who was also arrested.

The arrests also included an employee at an educational administration, whom Nazaha accuses of illegally employing his daughters-in-law. Two residents working in a contracting company with the Saudi Electricity Co. were also arrested for helping some subscribers to have their electrical meters give inaccurate power consumption readings.

At the end of its statement, Nazaha reaffirmed that it would continue to pursue anyone who exploits the public office to achieve personal gain or harm public interest in any way and that accountability extended far beyond the retirement of individuals.

The anti-corruption authority added that such crimes have no statute of limitations. “The authority will continue to apply the law, with zero tolerance against corruption,” Nazaha said in its statement.