Saudi prince, govt officials get jail terms by anti-corruption authority

Riyadh - Saudi Arabia’s Nazaha, or the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, announced more than a dozen rulings on Thursday.

By Web Report

Published: Sat 29 May 2021, 9:19 AM

Last updated: Sat 29 May 2021, 9:27 AM

A Saudi Arabian prince, along with several government officials and citizens, were given jail terms and fines by the Kingdom’s anti-corruption authority.

According to a statement from Nazaha, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, Saudi criminal courts announced more than a dozen rulings on Thursday.

The most prominent ruling convicted a prince and a student officer at a military college associated with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence of using forged academic qualifications to get government jobs. An Arab expat was also found guilty of acting as a mediator between the two and helping them get forged certificates.

The prince was given a two-year jail sentence a fine of 100,000 riyals (Dh97,000) and the officer was given a one and half year prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 riyals (Dh48,000). The Arab expatriate was jailed for a year and needed to pay a fine of 20,000 riyals (Dh19,000).

In another verdict, a commander of a security sector at the Ministry of Interior holding the title of Major-General was given a 10-year jail sentence and fined 200,000 riyals (Dh196,000). He was found guilty of forgery, abuse of the influence of the public office, squandering of public money and administrative misuse.

Four other officers, as well as a businessman, were also convicted in the same case, found guilty of forgery and exploitation of the influence of the public office and participation in squandering of public money and administrative misuse. They were handed prison terms ranging from three to six years and a fine of 50,000 riyals (Dh48,000) each.

Another prominent case involved a member of the Kingdom’s Public Prosecution who demanded a bribe of five million riyals (Dh4.8 million) from the owner of a commercial entity through a mediator citizen in exchange for following up and ending their case.

The member was found jailed for a year and six months and given a fine of 30,000 riyals (Dh29,000). The citizen who mediated the crime was jailed for a year and three months and was fined the same amount.