Khalid Al-Jabri and Mariam Al-Sagheer Okaz/Saudi Gazette
RIYADH/MADINAH — The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) has denied reports that it committed financial and administrative violations. Haia spokesman Dr. Turki Al-Shelail said these reports are merely attempts to harm the commission. He added that the Haia reserves the right to hold accountable whoever was behind these reports or distributed them. He said all financial and administrative affairs in the commission are conducted accordingly. A source in the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) said they have received a report regarding financial and administrative violations being committed in the commission and that the allegations would be investigated. A source told Okaz/Saudi Gazette of the violations, including contracting with a real estate development company to rent a tower on Riyadh's King Fahd Road. The contract was allegedly for SR17.8 million, despite the fact the same tower was previously approved for rental to the Ministry of Housing for SR15 million. In addition, a Haia official allegedly received a SR800,000 loan, of which SR400,000 was for the inauguration of an intellectual security training program and the rest for other training courses. The intellectual security training is entrusted to the Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, while there is no clear mechanism for how these amounts are spent, said the source. The report also claims that the Haia contracted a company to construct a communications center for almost SR7.48 million. The project was devised into seven parts costing less than SR1 million that would then come under the commission's authority of Haia. In addition, the report claimed that the commission had paid a production company SR948,000 to conduct training courses for 25 trainees, even though the number of employees in the media section does not exceed six. Nazaha is also probing other possible violations in connection with employment procedures, training, fieldwork and employee rights.
