Saudi Nazaha Announces Prison Sentences, Fines in Corruption Cases

Saudi Nazaha Announces Prison Sentences, Fines in Corruption Cases
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Saudi Nazaha Announces Prison Sentences, Fines in Corruption Cases

Saudi Nazaha Announces Prison Sentences, Fines in Corruption Cases

The Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) announced on Tuesday prison sentences and fines in a number of criminal cases.

The perpetrators were referred to the Criminal Court in Riyadh (divisions of financial and administrative corruption cases).

The rulings included a seven-year jail term and a fine of 60,000 riyals against a police officer, who was convicted of smuggling out detainees in violation of his job duties. He was also accused of covering up for the detainees

A governor of a region was sentenced to three years in jail and a fine of 25,000 riyals for embezzlement and bribery.

A director at a director at the Expropriation Department was charged with bribery, forgery and money laundering. He was sentenced to five years in jail and a fine of 350,000 riyals.

A resident, who works for a contracting company affiliated with the Ministry of Education, was convicted of offering 300,000 riyals as a bribe to one of the ministry’s employees in exchange for signing unauthentic certificates of completion in order to spend the company’s funds. He was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 100,000 riyals.

A lawyer was convicted of bribery and money laundering. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of 70,000 riyals. An employee at the Public Prosecution was convicted of bribery, money laundering and violating his duties by disclosing confidential information about cases. He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 riyals. Another employee was convicted of bribery and money laundering. He was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 riyals.

An employee of the General Administration of Prisons was convicted of bribery and was sentenced to a year and six months in prison and a fine of 15,000 riyals.

A judge was convicted of bribery, abuse of power and breach of the integrity of his position. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and a fine of 300,000 riyals.

An officer, in the rank of colonel in the General Administration of Civil Defense, was convicted of bribery, abuse of power for personal gain, embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and a fine of 600,000 riyals.

A businessman was convicted of bribery, abuse of power, embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and a fine of 1,650,000 riyals.

The Authority underscored the efforts and cooperation of government agencies in fighting financial and administrative corruption and the development of policies and procedures to that end.



Saudi Arabia: Lack of Accountability Encourages Israeli Escalation

Saudi Arabian Minister for Foreign Affairs Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
Saudi Arabian Minister for Foreign Affairs Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia: Lack of Accountability Encourages Israeli Escalation

Saudi Arabian Minister for Foreign Affairs Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
Saudi Arabian Minister for Foreign Affairs Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 28, 2024. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia stressed on Saturday that lack of accountability, despite its violations of international and humanitarian laws, has encouraged Israel to escalate its actions in the region.

Speaking at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah warned that Israel’s actions have dangerous repercussions and may expand the violence and conflict in the region.

The actions threaten the security and stability of the region, he added.

Saudi Arabia rejects and condemns the “heinous Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinian people,” he declared.

Israel’s “latest crimes against innocent civilians in Gaza is only a chapter of the suffering of these fraternal people,” he said.

The Palestinians have suffered for decades at the hands of the Israeli occupation and the “barbaric Israeli practices in the past year have cost tens of thousands of Palestinians their lives,” he went on to say.

The world is witnessing several crises that have deepened because they are not practically addressed due to lax international efforts and selectiveness in applying international law, he lamented.

He urged commitment to the principles of the UN Charter and joint work to reach long-term peaceful solutions that protect civilians and end fighting and wars.

Prince Faisal stressed that given the tensions between countries, Saudi Arabia has sought an approach that shies away from political polarization in the interntaional community, rather seeking dialogue, understanding and rapprochement between countries to bolster global peace and security.