The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) announced on Thursday the arrest of several government officials, including two judges, as part of ongoing efforts to combat corruption and uphold accountability.
One judge from the General Court, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, was detained for accepting SR670,000 out of a promised SR1 million to settle a financial dispute worth SR19 million. A second judge implicated in the case was also arrested.
In another case, an employee at an industrial college embezzled SR1.49 million by falsifying student allowance records and redirecting funds to relatives’ bank accounts.
Nazaha also reported the arrest of a notary public and a citizen who received SR4.46 million in exchange for illegally transferring land ownership. A major from the General Directorate of Prisons was apprehended for accepting SR60,000 out of an agreed SR100,000 to prevent the deportation of a foreign detainee.
Other notable cases include:
- A police officer accepting SR100,000 to drop a case.
- An employee of a government contractor taking SR150,000 to expedite payments worth SR800,000.
- A former Civil Affairs employee issued an unauthorized commercial approval for SR20,000.
- Two municipal employees, along with a mediator and a businessman, accepted SR15,000 for a construction certificate.
- A district mayor receiving SR800 to certify a form.
- An employee at the Saudi Standards Organisation accepting SR6,000 to expedite paperwork.
Additional arrests included a non-commissioned officer accused of stealing SR30,000, a Special Security Forces employee who embezzled office equipment, and a Ministry of Islamic Affairs employee who, with a colleague’s assistance, manipulated payroll records to divert funds to relatives.
Nazaha reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on corruption, emphasizing that accountability applies to individuals regardless of rank, position, or retirement status. The authority reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public funds and enforcing the law.
A very good example for Pakistani corrupted mafias, Nazaha should be called to Pakistan.