The 16 former Taif municipality employees convicted for bribery and corruption are preparing to present appeals to their sentences amid reports that the handing over of formal documents detailing their verdicts may be delayed for a second time. Rulings by the Jeddah Administrative Court on July 14 handed the 16 defendants sentences including prison, dismissal from employment, and fines. Seven others accused were absolved of all charges, while two private businessmen were fined SR150,000 each. Detailed expositions of the sentences, which were announced in an unscheduled court session and are required in order for those lodging appeals to proceed, were due to be presented by the court on the fourth day of Ramadan following a previous postponement of 28 days because of what one legal source close to the case said were “entirely administrative” reasons concerning the “size of the case and the number of persons involved”. Some of those charged said they were dismayed at what they described as “harsh” sentences and inconsistent verdicts for similar charges. The 16 were sentenced for accepting bribes totaling SR1.4 million from private businessmen for the award of government grants, wasting public money, appropriating government funds for personal gain, falsification of data, and illegally supplying electricity to homes.
