A retired deputy mayor of Jeddah will in the next few days face charges of being responsible for causing loss of life and damage to public and private properties during the floods that ravaged the city in 2009. The floods killed 120 people and injured 350, according to Civil Defense reports. There was damage to 11,960 properties and 10,178 cars. The retired official has confessed to having obtained 21 land grants for his sons and relatives in Jeddah, Al-Khobar and Al-Qatif through a government employee. He also admitted to intervening and requesting the then mayor of Jeddah to allow people to build on land located on flood courses in eastern part of the city. He attributed his actions to the fact that there were no aerial photographs that showed valleys and flood courses accurately. His confessions, approved by the court, came after the prosecution produced 13 pieces of evidence showing his misconduct which led to the flood disaster.
