In a significant breakthrough into the causes of the Jeddah flood disaster, a number of people have confessed to administrative and financial violations, according to reliable sources. The team probing the Jeddah flood disaster has used advanced interrogation techniques which led to the confessions, sources said. The team consists of professional and experienced investigators from the Investigation Department, the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution, and the Control and Investigation Board. They were able to identify those responsible among some of the suspects. The sources said investigators gathered information about projects that were constructed as a result of “administrative and financial mistakes”. The information was “irrefutable evidence”, forcing those responsible for the mistakes to admit their guilt. Investigators obtained the information during the early part of their probe. It has also been revealed that more than one suspect is involved in the same case. This resulted in investigators separating the suspects so that they could not coordinate their stories or leak any information. The investigation focused on a number of mayoralty projects, including roads and water projects. Some of the projects were already earmarked for investigation before the disaster took place. The sources said that other suspects, who are also detained, have been incriminated by the confessions. Saudi Gazette reported Tuesday that some of those detained in connection with the flood disaster will be released in the next few days. Several of those detained intend to appoint defense lawyers to represent them in court, according to sources. Omar Al-Khouli, a legal consultant and Professor of Law at King Abdulaziz University, said that the imminent release of the detained was by no means a sign of their innocence, noting that the release could be the start of legal proceedings. According to Al-Khouli, private legal action was unlikely due to a “lack of a direct causal link” between the accusations and damage caused. He said that the most likely punishments for those involved would range from disciplinary measures such as a cut in pay and bonuses and dismissals, to penal measures such as fines and prison. Public action could be brought by either the Monitoring and Investigation Commission (MIC) or the Commission for Investigation and Prosecution (CIP), depending on the charges filed. It also depends on whether the individual is a public employee or not, which will decide at which court they will appear, Al
