RIYADH – The Saudi Surveillance and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazara) announced on Sunday the arrest of several suspects in a criminal corruption case involving employees of the government and private companies, and said legal proceedings to hold them accountable are underway.
In a statement, authorities said they had worked with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to arrest a non-Saudi resident working as a project director for a PIF-affiliated company for allegedly receiving R2,175,000 from two Saudi nationals who were also detained, as well as another non-Saudi resident who was the CEO of a commercial organization.
The payments were allegedly made in exchange for winning projects to renovate company-owned premises and allowing commercial entities to obtain subcontract work on those projects.
Nazaha also said it had arrested a health department official who had received 500,000 riyals in exchange for facilitating the certification and awarding of two projects worth a total of 384.3 million riyals to commercial entities.
The investigation revealed that the total amount of agreed bribes amounted to 10 million riyals, of which 4.5 million riyals had already been received from the detained company chief executives.
The officials then distributed the funds to the technical director, his assistant, and the bid review committee chairman, all of whom were arrested.
Authorities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, also arrested a retired non-commissioned officer for embezzling 2.16 million riyals seized in a criminal case while working at a police station.
A civil defense noncommissioned officer has been arrested for allegedly soliciting bribes from a commercial organization in exchange for overlooking safety violations.
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Another member of the police station and two Saudi nationals have been detained for jointly stealing R1.4 million from a non-Saudi resident.
Authorities further reported the arrest of three civil servants who received 850,000 riyals in installments from a Saudi national who was also detained in exchange for illegal birth registration and issuance of national identity cards.
Three city government employees were also arrested. One person was caught accepting 300,000 riyals of the agreed 800,000 riyals bribe for expediting the licensing process and zoning approval for greenfield land.
The second received R20,000 from a detained citizen for facilitating the award of a municipal construction and development project as a member of a tender review committee.
The third person worked with the arrested non-Saudi contractor to illegally issue building permits and completion certificates and receive bribes.
Nazaha also detained an employee of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and a non-Saudi resident for allegedly accepting bribes from citizens in exchange for opening livestock assistance files or renewing qualifications by falsifying livestock registration.
Another employee of the Regional Development Authority was arrested for employing his wife in a company that had a contract with his employer and receiving her monthly salary without reporting to work.
The authorities noted that under Saudi law there is no time limit for financial and administrative corruption crimes, and stressed that those who abuse public office and public funds will continue to be monitored and pursued even after they leave office. He reiterated that all criminals will be held accountable.
