Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Several government employees were among those arrested in connection with corruption charges in various regions across the Kingdom. The spokesman of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) stated that legal measures were taken against the suspects following investigations carried out into the corruption charges against them during the past period.

An employee of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources was arrested for receiving the sum of SR1,625,000 in exchange for illegally obtaining a crusher license for a company owned by a foreign investor.A Saudi citizen was arrested upon receiving SR85,000 out of a total of SR110,000 in exchange for canceling a demolition order issued on agricultural land due to the lack of a title deed. Investigations revealed that two employees working for the municipality of the same area had received sums of money in exchange for halting the demolition orders. These employers were also arrested.

An employee working for the municipality of a governorate was arrested upon receiving SR195,000 in exchange for awarding a tender to a commercial entity in an illegal manner. Director of a water desalination plant in a governorate was arrested for receiving SR35,000 from a commercial entity contracting with the plant in exchange for not reporting any violations by that entity.

The Nazaha spokesman said that an employee working for a regional secretariat was arrested upon receiving SR30,000 out of an agreed-upon SR240,000. The arrest was made for facilitating the illegal disbursement of SR8,303,000, representing financial dues to a commercial entity.

A non-commissioned officer working for the General Directorate of Civil Defense in one of the regions was arrested for illegally receiving SR10,430 in exchange for issuing a permit for a commercial establishment.

An employee working at a government hospital in one of the governorates was arrested for embezzling SR12,000 belonging to a catering company that had pledged to provide food to the hospital.

A non-commissioned officer working for the Ministry of Defense in one of the regions was arrested for receiving sums of money from female citizens in exchange for promising them employment with the ministry.

The Nazaha arrested another employee working for an emirate in one of the regions for receiving a sum of money in exchange for facilitating marriage procedures for a resident in an illegal way.

An employee working for the Enforcement Court in one of the governorates was arrested upon receiving a sum of money in exchange for removing a citizen's name from the service suspension list.

An employee of the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority was arrested at an airport after detecting a number of customs seizures at his workplace. An employee working for the secretariat of one of the governorates was arrested for obtaining travel tickets for himself and his family members in an illegal way.

An employee working for the secretariat of one of the regions as a market supervisor was arrested for conducting inspection tours of a commercial entity and seizing an amount of SR7,500 and some tobacco products without any legal justification.

An employee working at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development was arrested for receiving a sum of money from a commercial entity in exchange for not filing a regulatory violation against the commercial entity.

The Nazaha arrested a resident working at a health complex at the Ministry of Health in one of the regions after receiving a sum of money in exchange for promising someone to pass the health professions licensing exam to obtain a license to practice a health profession without actually attending the exam.

An employee working at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in one of the regions was arrested after receiving a sum of money in exchange for not canceling a hotel operating permit.

The Nazaha also arrested an employee working at the Saudi Electricity Company in one of the regions after receiving a sum of money in exchange for illegally supplying electricity to a site.

The spokesman reiterated that Nazaha continues to monitor and apprehend anyone who encroaches on public funds or exploits their position for personal gain or to harm the public interest, and to hold them accountable even after the end of their service period. The authority would continue to implement the law against violators without any leniency, he added