A court here sentenced a Saudi national to 10 years in prison, 3,000 lashes, and a fine of SR6.7 million Saturday for charges of stealing and tampering with high-voltage power towers last year. The thief's accomplice, his uncle, was sentenced to one year in prison and 120 lashes for selling the stolen scrap metals and cables. With the help of his lookout uncle, the thief stole steel support structures and rolls of electrical wires of the high-voltage towers being used by the Saudi Electricity Company to supply power to the city of Hafr Al-Batn. The theft of ground support steel of the towers connected from the Jubail power station to Hafr Al-Batn station caused many towers along the desert road to fall down during storms. The city experienced many power outages due to fallen towers. After the hearing of the verdict, the man was taken to prison. No word was said about appealing the verdict.
