Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – An ex-mayor facing corruption charges denied in court Monday that he had received SR5 million in bribe from a co-defendant for approving unauthorized construction in a flood path. The ex-mayor and three others accused in flood-related cases appeared in the Administrative Court at the Board of Grievances in Jeddah to face charges against them. The session began with judges confronting the ex-mayor with evidence provided by the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) to show that he had obtained a bribe of SR5 million from the second defendant in return for approving the construction of a three-story building in a planned residential district in downtown Jeddah. The ex-mayor denied all charges leveled against him saying confessions were extracted under duress. The presiding judge then asked the ex-mayor to explain how he granted approvals for houses in Al-Musa'ed planned district and in the flood course in Umm Al-Khair when the requests were forwarded to him by the deputy mayor. The judge said the ex-mayor's decision had resulted in loss of lives during the floods that devastated the city in November 2009 and January 2011. He said his action was a clear violation of royal orders banning construction in flood paths. The ex-mayor replied that it was not true and demanded a copy of the charge sheet. He requested more time to prepare his response. Later in the session, the third and fourth defendants also refuted charges against them. The circuit judge warned a representative who appeared on behalf of the second defendant that the court would force his client to attend the hearing if he continued to abstain from upcoming sessions.
