Sources have said that all except five officials detained over devastating floods in Jeddah are to be released and that all those who have been held in custody can expect to stand trial. “The arrests will not stop as long as there are still suspects,” the sources added. Omar Al-Khouli, a legal consultant and Professor of Law at King Abdulaziz University, said that the imminent release of detained persons was by no means a sign of innocence and that it could signal the initiation of judicial procedures. According to Al-Khouli, punishments for those involved will range from disciplinary measures such as pay severance, bonus severance and dismissal, to penal measures such as fines and prison according to the charges. Private action, which would entail severer penalties, is unlikely according to Al-Khouli, due to lack of a “direct causal link” between what the detained are accused of and the fatal events of the November floods. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, submitted the Disaster Investigation Committee's final report to King Abdullah last Saturday.
