A retired Jeddah mayor has been accused of direct complicity in the flood disaster in the city two years ago. During proceedings in the Administrative Court here Saturday, Dr. Wail Bafaqeeh, lawyer for a deputy mayor, accused in the case, contested the statement of the retired mayor in which he sought to blame his deputy for the disaster. “The retired mayor is himself an accused in the case. Then how come he can accuse my client of misdoings,” the lawyer asked. The letter sent by the former deputy mayor to his immediate boss seeking the latter's approval for the recommendations made by the committee which inspected three sites in north and east Jeddah —which were greatly affected by the floods — was signed by none other than the same retired mayor, Dr. Bafaqeeh pointed out. This means it was the retired mayor who had the final say on this matter. “The retired mayor approved the recommendations and gave his directives to implement them, a fact which proves that he knew the contents of the letter and he read the recommendations which stated that the project did not pose any threat to residents and public property,” the lawyer said. On the same day, Sheikh Dr. Saad Al-Malki, judge in charge of Jeddah flood case, presided over another session during which three more persons involved in the disaster stood trial. “You were holding responsible positions and you were convinced that the plots of land were not safe for housing purposes and you also knew about recommendations which, if implemented, could have prevented the catastrophe, yet you didn't report these recommendations to your directors,” Dr. Al-Malki told the accused. __
