Saudi Arabia is waging a fierce war on corruption through a firm roadmap, the methodology and foundation of which was laid by the Crown Prince: “No one who has entered into a corruption case will escape, whoever he may be… No one will escape… Whether he is a minister, a prince, or whoever he may be… Anyone against whom sufficient evidence is available will be held accountable.”.

Saudi Arabia is moving forward with the fight against corruption, taking bold steps towards achieving comprehensive and desired reform in all parts of the state, according to an integrated work system that enjoys the highest levels of integrity and transparency, which ensures the achievement of the aspirations of Vision 2030, and the implementation of its programs and general goals in an ideal work environment, free from corruption.

No immunity for the corrupt

The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) affirmed that no corrupt individual is immune from prosecution, regardless of their position or status, and that corruption does not expire with time, even after leaving office. It is committed to enforcing the law against violators without leniency. Nazaha works to protect public funds and hold accountable anyone who exploits their position to obstruct development projects or investment activities, or to harm the public interest in any way. Nazaha reiterates its firm commitment to exercising its legally mandated responsibilities against anyone who dares to misappropriate public funds.

This clear approach confirms that the Authority will not deviate from continuing to monitor and control anyone who infringes on public funds or exploits their position to achieve their personal interest or to harm the public interest, and it is proceeding with applying what the system requires against violators without leniency.

It has become clear that the regulatory bodies have the upper hand in arresting and pointing out corrupt individuals; as the procedures have shown the government’s determination to eradicate corruption and corrupt individuals, regardless of their job position, in order to preserve the nation’s wealth and resources.

Former officer ousted

An official source at the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority confirmed that a retired colonel from the State Security Presidency was arrested at the moment he received a check for 30 million riyals out of an agreed amount of 100 million riyals, in exchange for his claim to have closed a financial and administrative corruption case pending before the Authority related to a businessman, exploiting the information available to him during his previous work period, with the help of a resident (of Yemeni nationality) who claimed to work in a government position and that she was a member of the ruling family in one of the Gulf countries, and her forgery of a letter containing an order to deceive the businessman into believing the truth of what they claimed.

The source confirmed that the two collected 80 million riyals from citizens, claiming to invest it in state projects with the help of two residents, and that they purchased real estate inside and outside the Kingdom, and bought valuable possessions and smuggled them out of the Kingdom.

The statement from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) indicated that the accused have been detained pending the case, and legal procedures are being taken against them. The Commission affirmed its continued commitment to monitoring and apprehending anyone who misappropriates public funds or exploits their position for personal gain or to harm the public interest, and that it will continue to apply the full force of the law against violators without leniency.

The Faisaliah building incident

Last month of Dhul-Hijjah, an official working as an agent for the Ministry of Culture for shared services was arrested after his involvement in the collapse of a residential building in the Al-Faisaliyah neighborhood of Jeddah Governorate, which resulted in seven deaths and eight injuries.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) initiated search and investigation procedures after it became clear that there were indications of corruption practices in issuing building permits for the building. An application was submitted to issue a building permit containing forged information; it contained processed images that were modified with specialized programs showing that the building had been demolished, contrary to reality, in exchange for a sum of 50,000 riyals. The owner of the building transferred the sum to his legal representative, who in turn handed the sum over to one of the employees of the office in cash. The project contractor then proceeded with construction, which led to an increase in loads and the subsequent collapse of the building.

The building owner admitted to paying the money as a bribe in exchange for issuing a building permit for his building in an irregular manner. The aforementioned individuals were detained pending the case, and the necessary legal procedures were taken against them.

This was preceded by the announcement by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) of the suspension of the CEO of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, for his involvement in crimes of abuse of official influence and money laundering.

This is a clear message to every official, regardless of their position, that they are not immune from accountability.

No to prioritizing self-interest

During July 2024, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority carried out its functions and tasks by conducting 3010 oversight tours, investigating 266 suspects, including employees from the Ministries of Interior, Defense, National Guard, Justice, Health, Education, Municipalities and Housing, and arresting 149 citizens and residents in accordance with the Criminal Procedures Law, some of whom were released on bail, for their involvement in charges of bribery, abuse of official influence, and money laundering.

The measures taken by (Nazaha) prove that no one who has harmed the nation and the citizen, who has prioritized his own interest over the public interest, and who has transgressed against public funds without any religious, moral, or ethical restraint, will escape punishment. This demonstrates the state’s commitment to giving (Nazaha) free rein in implementing the system and uncovering any deviations by any official in the state.

Protecting the whistleblower and shielding him from punishment

Lawyer and legal advisor Rami Al-Sharif confirmed that the efforts made by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority are a call to tighten the oversight aspect in many ministries and governmental and private departments regarding their projects, contracts and how they are spent, which requires them to pay attention to the oversight aspect and bring the corrupt to justice.

He explained that it is no longer difficult or complicated for anyone to report a case of corruption, even if it occurs in their workplace. The system guarantees the protection of the whistleblower and prevents them from being harmed or dismissed, provided that the information is accurate and not malicious.

Al-Sharif stressed that the anti-bribery system stipulates severe penalties, and Article One states that “every public employee who requests for himself or for others, or accepts or takes a promise or gift to perform an act within his job duties, or claims that it is within his job duties, even if this act is legitimate, is considered a bribe-taker and shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding one million riyals, or by one of these two penalties. The fact that the employee intended not to perform the act that he promised does not affect the establishment of the crime.”.

Money laundering is a compound crime

Article Nine stipulated that “whoever offers a bribe and it is not accepted from him shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding one million riyals or with one of these two penalties. The briber, the intermediary, and everyone who participated shall be punished with the penalty stipulated in the article that criminalizes it. Anyone who agrees, incites, or helps in committing it with knowledge thereof shall be considered an accomplice in the crime, whenever the crime is committed based on this agreement, incitement, or assistance.”.

He stressed that when corruption cases are linked to money laundering crimes, the penalty is imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding five million riyals. This penalty can be increased if the perpetrator holds a public office and the crime is linked to the public office, in which case the penalty is increased to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 years and a fine not exceeding seven million. If it becomes clear that there are funds originating from the crime, they are confiscated even if they are in the hands of others.