JEDDAH — The General Auditing Bureau (GAB) is investigating allegations of possible corruption against the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture while purchasing office furniture for a branch director spending SR1.5 million four years ago. Informed sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette on Saturday that the bureau asked the ministry to explain why it has bought such expensive furniture for the office of a branch director. The bureau also said it has not received any reply from the ministry to its questions on the issue submitted about four years ago. The bureau, however, said the only reply it received was from the ministry's legal department and without the knowledge of the concerned purchase department. It said the legal department explained that the purchase of furniture was the prerogative of the office of the director general. The sources also said a senior official in one of of the ministry's branches was being interrogated by the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP) for administrative corruption, misuse of power and making illegal personal gains. The sources did not identify the official nor the branch but said a number of irregularities were registered against his department. They said a number of the ministry's staff were currently being tried in courts after the BIP has pressed a number of corruption charges against them. Among other accusations, the charges included appointing some relatives of a senior official through a former HR director. The sources said the the investigations revealed that relatives of some senior officials in the branch were appointed without holding competitive tests though they did not have proper qualifications for the jobs.
