Abdulrahman Al-Ali Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The judge hearing the trial of a former branch municipality head accused of abusing his power at the Jeddah Administrative Court has ordered security authorities to bring in a potentially important witness to testify. The witness had refused to testify in court so the judge ordered for him to be brought in by force. The Control and Investigation Board (CIB) had also accused the former official of making profits illegally, purchasing plots of land that did not have title deeds and receiving title deeds that had been issued illegally. The court had asked the defendant, who said the witness could prove his innocence, to testify on his behalf. However, the CIB said the witness had given a statement against the accused. This is why he did not respond to summons to attend the court sessions, the board said. However, the defendant said the witness is not involved in the case and cannot be forced to attend. He said any court appearance could damage the witness' reputation. The judge said the man would have to testify to ensure a fair trial. The defendant said that he managed to reach the witness but could not convince him to attend court sessions because no official summons had been issued. He asked the court to use its power to compel the witness to testify, while his lawyer suggested an official summons be issued.
