Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia files 117 financial, administrative corruption cases

Saudi Arabia’s Control and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) has filed a total of 117 financial and administrative corruption cases against individuals who tried to exploit government entities over the past month.

The cases involve three private sector employees who tried to bribe some of the Ministry of Health staff members to lease contracts that permit hotels to house individuals who want to quarantine in them, the authority said in a statement on Monday.

They were arrested and their case has been referred to the court, it added.

A Ministry of Tourism employee was also referred to the court for receiving bribes from 13 people in exchange for leasing contracts to a number of hotels in Jeddah that the government has been renting to house repatriated citizens for the quarantine period.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Health have been working together to provide housing in hotels across the Kingdom for all citizens returning from abroad for a 14-day period to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

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Two individuals who work for the General Authority of Zakat and Tax have also been referred to the court along with three other people for receiving bribes in exchange for reducing the tax bills for several companies.

The authority said it would continue to pursue anyone who attempts to exploit the public office to achieve personal gain or harm the public interest in any way possible.

All negligent parties will be held accountable and reprimanded, according to Nazaha.

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