JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia has asked the Interpol to arrest two Saudis who escaped from the country after released from prison on bail, Al-Watan newspaper reported on Sunday. The men, a former municipal official and the former head of a local sports club, were convicted of charges in cases related to the November 2009 floods that devastated parts of Jeddah. More than 100 people died in the floods, which also injured 350 others and damaged nearly 10,000 vehicles and a large number of properties. More than 350 people were accused of various charges, including fraudulent real estate deals and unlawful construction, that exacerbated the disaster. The Court of Administrative Appeal had sentenced the municipal official to seven years in prison while the sports club leader was sentenced to three years in prison. A police source said the men had appealed the court verdict and hired lawyers to represent them before disappearing from the country. The source said the amount of compensation paid to the victims has reached SR116 million and the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution has reopened the case. “The suspects of Jeddah floods could face fines and imprisonment. The Jeddah Court of Administrative Appeal refused to reconsider the sentence of the two convicts and is demanding the Interpol to arrest them so their sentence can be executed,” said the source.
