The official spokesperson of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority announced that the authority has initiated a number of criminal cases during the past period, resulting in the suspension and arrest of a military officer, a businessman, residents, and employees in several ministries.

An employee was caught receiving 200,000 riyals in exchange for not issuing fines against a commercial entity.

The authority also suspended a citizen (businessman) for offering 1.6 million riyals to a customs clearance agent to facilitate the entry of two shipping containers through Jeddah Islamic Port containing restricted tobacco, in exchange for not paying the due government customs fees of 14 million riyals. Additionally, an employee of the Ministry of Health in one region was suspended for receiving 900,000 riyals in installments in exchange for awarding several projects to a commercial entity irregularly.

The authority added that cooperation with the Ministry of Energy led to the arrest of a resident working on one of the ministry's projects at the moment he received 200,000 riyals in exchange for not issuing fines and penalties against a commercial entity amounting to 1.5 million riyals. Meanwhile, a resident working for an engineering consultancy office and appointed as an expert by the commercial court in a commercial dispute case was arrested at the moment he received 50,000 riyals out of an agreed 100,000 riyals, in exchange for preparing a technical report in favor of one party to the dispute irregularly.

It pointed out that cooperation with the Ministry of Interior resulted in the suspension of a former military officer of the General Directorate of Passports for receiving money totaling 60,500 riyals in exchange for processing transactions for expatriates irregularly. An employee of the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority in one region was also arrested at the moment he received 55,000 riyals in exchange for modifying the status of imported goods irregularly.

The authority noted that two employees working for a municipality in one governorate were suspended for receiving 40,000 riyals in exchange for processing transactions irregularly. An employee working for a secretariat of one region was arrested at the moment he received 10,000 riyals out of an agreed 50,000 riyals, in exchange for processing a transaction at the secretariat irregularly.

The authority announced the arrest of an employee of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in one region at the moment he received 10,000 riyals in exchange for not issuing fines against a commercial entity during field inspections. Additionally, an employee of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in one governorate and a citizen were suspended because the former received 2,500 riyals from the latter in exchange for handing over a false letter addressed to the General Directorate of Passports to cancel a report of absence for a resident in order to transfer his sponsorship to the latter.

Suspension of 4 employees for irregularly hiring others

The suspension decisions included 4 employees working for a municipality in one governorate for irregularly hiring a number of citizens related to them, and disbursing salaries to a number of resident workers in the municipality and benefiting from them irregularly. A resident working in a health facility was suspended for receiving money in exchange for issuing a medical examination report and lab test for an expatriate without his presence and attaching the reports via the electronic platform of the 'Balady' system. Additionally, the director of a periodic inspection station and an employee at the same station in one region were suspended for receiving money in exchange for processing vehicle inspection procedures irregularly.

The authority added that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, an employee working for the ministry in one region was suspended for seizing a number of computers while serving as the warehouse keeper for the ministry in the region. An employee working at a driving school in one governorate was also arrested at the moment he received money from a resident in exchange for completing procedures for issuing a driving license without attending the school.

The authority affirmed that it 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 hold them accountable even after their employment relationship ends, as financial and administrative corruption crimes are not subject to statute of limitations. The authority is committed to applying the provisions of the law against violators without leniency.