Abdulrahman Al-Ali Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – A former notary public and businessman stood trial over flood-related charges at the Administrative Court in the Board of Grievances in Jeddah on Wednesday. At the beginning of the court session, the public prosecutor read out the charges against the two defendants. The charges included the notary public receiving SR150,000 in bribe in return for facilitating a transaction for the businessman in a planned residential district in the central part of Jeddah. The notary public, who worked in the First Notary Public Office, was also accused of receiving SR200,000 to speed up the transaction of a plot of land belonging to the same businessman. The official allegedly received two plots of land in a planned district in return for facilitating other transactions for the businessman. The defendants denied all the charges and requested more time to prepare their defense. The court agreed and adjourned the hearing to Nov. 20. In another court session Wednesday, the former mayor of Jeddah accused in the flood disaster case submitted a 10-page defense refuting the charges against him. The submission included explanations and clarifications as well as new evidence not presented during previous court sessions. The prosecution presented a 12-page reply. As for the Faraj Al-Musa'ed planned residential district, lawyer Muhammad Al-Mu'nis, representing the ex-mayor, said the district was not located on the flood path. He argued that the development was at a location where rainwater collects but drains quickly. The lawyer said the ex-mayor did not approve the project while in office, but his predecessors who held the post before he took over approved it. The ex-mayor said his participation in Al-Khumra plots project was four months after he had left office. He reiterated that he did not receive any bribe to allow the encroachments to continue. The public prosecutor presented a copy of Umm Al-Khair planned district saying it was approved by the mayoralty and not by the Ain Al-Aziziah endowment. About granting approval for Umm Al-Khair planned district, the ex-mayor said a Saudi citizen came with a valid title deed and the mayoralty had no choice but to approve it. The defense lawyer presented maps of Faraj Al-Musa'ed planned district to prove that his client was innocent of the charges leveled against him. Judge Saad Al-Malki confronted the ex-mayor with his signed confessions that he received SR5 million in return for permitting the businessman to construct three-story buildings in the planned district, abuse of power, toying with the regulations and not implementing the royal orders that ban construction on flood paths.
