The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority has initiated a number of criminal cases recently, and legal procedures are underway against those involved. A source within the Authority highlighted some of the most prominent cases...

Gifts in exchange for depositing unknown amounts

In cooperation with the Presidency of State Security and the Saudi Central Bank, a bank employee was arrested for receiving gifts in kind and travel and accommodation expenses from a citizen and a resident who were arrested in exchange for depositing cash amounts of unknown origin amounting to (7,000,000) riyals into bank accounts belonging to a commercial entity. Investigations proved that the total amounts deposited into the commercial entity’s accounts by the citizen and the resident at banks operating in the Kingdom amounted to (136,000,000) riyals, which were transferred outside the Kingdom during a period of (5) months.

Bribe... one million riyals

A resident working at an engineering consultancy office in one of the regions was caught red-handed while receiving (400,000) riyals out of (2,800,000) riyals in exchange for completing the procedures for issuing a building permit for an industrial workshop complex in an irregular manner by one of the municipality employees in the same region. He was caught red-handed at the moment he received (1,000,000) riyals, and investigations proved the involvement of another resident in the case, who was detained.

Email crime

A resident working as an engineer for a telecommunications company and two other residents, described as “brokers,” were caught red-handed receiving (225,000) riyals out of an agreed amount of (450,000) riyals, in exchange for extending a contract to implement networks for the company with a commercial entity, after the engineer sent an email containing the cancellation of the contract in order to pressure the owner of the commercial entity to pay the amount.

Municipal fine reduction

A resident was caught red-handed receiving (162,000) riyals in exchange for reducing a fine issued by the municipality of one of the governorates against a warehouse. Investigations proved that the beneficiary of the money was the director of technical affairs at the same municipality, and he was caught red-handed receiving the money from the aforementioned resident. It was revealed during the investigation that the employee had previously received (1,000,000) riyals in installments in exchange for completing transactions in an irregular manner, which were used to purchase real estate.

Correcting the status of an illegal building

An employee of a municipality in one of the governorates was caught red-handed while receiving the sum of (150,000) riyals out of the sum of (250,000) riyals in exchange for approving the decision of the committee to correct the status of a violating building.

Facilitating security and safety requirements

An employee at the eighth rank in the Security and Safety Department of Health Affairs in one of the governorates was caught red-handed receiving the sum of (50,000) riyals in exchange for facilitating the procedures for receiving the work of implementing the security and safety requirements project that is being carried out by one of the commercial entities for the benefit of Health Affairs. A resident (intermediary) was also arrested for negotiating with the commercial entity to pay the sum.

Medical analyst falls

A resident working as a medical operations analyst at a charity was caught red-handed receiving (15,000) riyals in exchange for issuing an approval from the charity that included its sponsorship of the treatment of one of the residents.

Removal of municipal notice

The director of the reports and violations department in a municipality of one of the governorates was caught red-handed while receiving the sum of (5,000) riyals in exchange for removing the review notice that he had placed on one of the buildings and allowing the building owner to complete its restoration without obtaining a license from the municipality.

Ignoring the issuance of a violation

A supervisor in the municipality of one of the governorates was caught red-handed while receiving (1,000) riyals in exchange for not issuing a violation for the lack of a license for a workshop.

Loading vehicles wirelessly

In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, two members of the traffic department in one of the governorates and (4) residents working as truck drivers (for transporting damaged or broken-down cars) were arrested for receiving an amount of (3,000) riyals per month in exchange for handing over wireless devices in their custody to the residents in order to determine the locations of traffic accidents as soon as they occur and to go to them to load the damaged vehicles.

Seizure of funds

In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, two non-commissioned officers working in the traffic department of one of the governorates were suspended for embezzling the money collected from traffic accident perpetrators as compensation for the owners of damaged vehicles and not handing over that money to the beneficiaries.

Sand theft crime

An employee of a municipality in one of the governorates was arrested for illegally extracting sand from the areas under his supervision and selling it for his own benefit.

Traffic officers suspended

In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, three non-commissioned officers in the traffic department of one of the regions, and a resident, were arrested for selling motorcycles impounded by the traffic department to the resident after disabling the surveillance cameras.

sick leave

In cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, an employee working at a hospital affiliated with the ministry in one of the regions was suspended for receiving money in exchange for issuing sick leave certificates to patients.

School registration

A supervisor working at a boys' school in one of the regions was suspended for receiving money from residents in exchange for registering their children at the school.

Vaccine intermediaries

A Ministry of Health employee and two citizens (intermediaries) were arrested for receiving money in exchange for changing the health status of a number of citizens to "immune" without obtaining the vaccine.

The Authority affirmed that it continues to monitor and apprehend anyone who misappropriates public funds or exploits their position to achieve their personal interests or to harm the public interest, and will hold them accountable even after their relationship with the position ends, given that financial and administrative corruption crimes do not lapse with time, and that the Authority is proceeding with the application of what the system stipulates against violators without leniency.