The Emir of Riyadh, Prince Khaled Bin Bandar, has promised to inform us about the results of the investigations into the “forged work visas” racket. We will keep reminding his royal highness on his promise simply because corruption has continued unabated in the absence of public disclosure of the perpetrators. There are a number of areas that corrupt individuals make quick gains in. Among them is the encroachment and seizure of empty government land through dishonest means and the trade in work visas. The first area could be dried up by eliminating the fences and barbed wires constructed by land encroachments and regain the plots which belong to the government, and the second by preventing visa traders from doing this illegal work for personal profits. Such people must be publicly defamed. They have to be unmasked so that they will be publicly known to every citizen. Defaming them will make them fall from the ceiling to the ground. They will come down from richness to rags. The issue of the forged work visas goes beyond the gangs who trade in visas or forge them. It is an issue of direct concern to the country's economic interests, social stability and ethical security. It will also undermine the efforts being made to curb unemployment and reduce the number of the unqualified foreign manpower. The drying up of corruption bastions starts with unmasking the corrupt perpetrators, scandalizing them and strictly applying laws and regulations on them. We should not shy away from uncovering such corrupt people on the pretext of preserving their dignity. There is no dignity or honor for the corrupt. The Emir of Riyadh has promised us with transparency and candidness to uncover the identity of these criminals who trade in forged work visas. I have no doubts that the prince will keep his promise.
