RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, known as Nazaha, made sweeping arrests of a number of public sector employees involved in fraud cases totaling more than SR10 million ($2.6 million), which were announced on Sunday evening.
A resident project manager working for a Public Investment Fund company was arrested for receiving a payment of SR2.2 million in exchange for awarding contracts for renovation work.
The payment was made by two citizens and a resident CEO of another company, who were also arrested.
An employee working in the health sector was arrested after receiving SR500,000 in exchange for awarding two projects with a total value of SR384.3 million.
Investigations revealed that the total agreed amount was SR10 million of which SR4.5 million had already been received from the CEO of the commercial entity, who was also arrested.
The employee distributed the money to the director of engineering affairs, the assistant director general of engineering affairs and the head of the bid evaluation committee at the same health affairs office.
All those involved were arrested, according to Nazaha.
Three employees working at the Civil Affairs Department were arrested for receiving SR850,000, paid in installments by a citizen who was also arrested. They had paid for illegally registering births and issuing national identity cards.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, a retired non-commissioned officer was arrested for embezzling SR2.2 million during his service at a police station.
The funds were taken from amounts seized in criminal cases.
A municipal employee was arrested after being caught receiving SR300,000 out of a promised SR800,000 in exchange for facilitating and completing procedures related to issuing permits and approving a planning sketch for a plot of land.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, a Civil Defense non-commissioned officer in one of the governorates was arrested for requesting money from commercial entities in exchange for refraining from issuing safety-violation fines.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, a police officer at a regional police station and two citizens were arrested for jointly stealing SR1.4 million from a resident.
A municipal employee was arrested for receiving SR20,000 from a citizen, who was also arrested, in exchange for facilitating the award of a municipal construction and development project, as he was a member of the bid evaluation committee.
An employee of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and a resident were arrested for receiving money from citizens in exchange for illegally opening files and updating livestock support eligibility through false livestock registrations.
A municipal employee in one of the regions was arrested for receiving money to illegally issue building permits and completion certificates, in coordination with a resident contractor who was also arrested.
An employee of a regional development authority was arrested for arranging the employment of his wife at a company contracted with the authority where he worked, allowing her to receive monthly salaries without performing any duties.
The spokesman of Nazaha in a post on X highlighted continuous efforts to pursue anyone who exploits public office to achieve personal gain or harm the public in any way.
They warned that accountability extends far beyond retirement— as the targeted crimes have no statute of limitations — and that the authority will continue to apply the law with no tolerance of corruption.
