29 May 2021
According to a statement released by Nazaha, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, Saudi criminal courts made more than a dozen rulings on Thursday (27 May). In recent years, Saudi Arabia has stepped up the crackdown on white-collar corruption, arresting dozens of state employees and entrepreneurs.
The most prominent ruling convicted a Saudi prince and a student officer at a military college associated with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. They both used forged academic qualifications to get government jobs. An Arab expat was also found guilty of helping the two to get forged certificates.
The prince was given a two-year jail term and a fine of 100,000 riyals. The officer was given a one and half year prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 riyals. The Arab expatriate was jailed for a year and ordered a fine of 20,000 riyals.
In another case, a preliminary verdict was issued convicting a commander with the rank of a major general at a security sector in the Interior Ministry on charges of forgery, administrative misuse, influence peddling and dealing in private business. He was handed down an eight-year jail term and a fine of SR160,000.
In the same sector an officer with the rank of a major was convicted of complicity in forgery and administrative misuse. He was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of SR100,000. A non-commissioned officer working at the same sector was convicted of forgery and given a three-year jail term along with a fine of SR200,000. A brigadier working at a different security sector was convicted of complicity with the major general in administrative misuse and illegally involved in private business. He was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of SR10,000.
A businessman was convicted of money laundering and was given a jail term of four and half years and ordered to pay a fine of SR150,000 as well as a three-year travel ban. Another businessman was convicted of forging official documents and was handed down two years in prison along with a fine of SR200,000.
1 US $ = Riyals 3.75
Gulfnews reported.
