Abdulrahman Al-Ali Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – The Administrative Court in Jeddah convicted a secondary student of replicating official rubber stamps used by the Saudi Embassy in Sanaa and then using them to stamp a forged engineering degree supposedly from a Yemeni university. Dr. Saad Al-Malki, president of the court's third penal circuit and presiding judge, sentenced the youth to one year in prison and SR1,000 fine. However, he then stopped the implementation of the verdict due to the defendant's young age. The defendant was involved in forgery, according to representatives of the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP). The court was told the forgery was discovered when the father went to the branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jeddah to attest the certificate. Foreign Ministry employees noticed that the certificate was not genuine, nor were the stamps on it. They started verifying the certificate before referring the matter to investigation authorities, which investigated and referred the case to the Administrative Court. The court charged the youth with forgery after the BIP found there was a case to answer. The charge sheet named the youth and an unidentified person who helped him in forging the official stamp of the Saudi Embassy in Sanaa. The youth had paid the other person money to forge the stamp, the charge sheet said. He was also charged with using a document knowing that it was forged. The hearing began with the youth's testimony on the reasons that led him to carry out this act. He told the court that he was in need of a certificate that said he was a student at an Arab university, so he obtained a forged document. He expressed regret and said he was still young and did not have enough life experience to enable him to think correctly. He said he did not inform any of his family members about the idea, so he alone was responsible. Al-Malki issued a preliminary verdict of one year behind bars and a fine of SR1,000. He advised the defendant to be truthful and honest in all his dealings. Al-Malki then decided to release the defendant, saying the period he had already spent in prison was sufficient due to his young age.
