RIYADH: Among the 332 suspects to be investigated for their alleged wrongdoings during the 2009 Jeddah flood disaster are foreigners of different nationalities, a security official told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. The official, who did not identify the nationalities of the foreign suspects, said that they were accused of bribery and the misuse of the powers of their office, as well as being implicated in criminal cases. He said the statement made Wednesday by the Ministry of Interior indicates that the Kingdom's authorities are still attempting to find those believed to have been involved in the catastrophe in order that justice may take its course and that efforts are being exerted by investigators to determine the responsibility of each suspect. Sultan Bin Dhahim, a lawyer, said the Ministry of Interior is looking for the perpetrators and is gathering all the necessary information about them in order to interrogate them and determine the crimes they have committed. He said that the authorized bodies with jurisdiction to probe the disaster are the Control and Investigation Board (CIB) and the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP). Under its jurisdiction the CIB looks into the cases of those who are involved in bribery, misuse of the power of their office and similar violations, while the BIP carries out investigations in criminal cases involving risk to people's lives. Dhahim said Article 4 of the Legal Proceedings gives a suspect the right to seek the help of lawyers to defend and represent him in court and during investigations, adding that the system empowers the investigator to issue orders to prevent suspects from contacting other prisoners or detainees. He said the system stipulates that if it is proved that companies have been involved in bribery, those involved in the crime will be fined ten times the value of the bribery. Also, they will be deprived from carrying out any of their projects offered in public bids. Dhahim said the Anti-bribery System empowers the Council of Ministers to review a penalty after a passage of five years from the date of the issuance of the verdict. But if it is determined that bribery resulted in the loss of lives, then the penalty differs from other crimes of bribery. Meanwhile, informed sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that about 35 of the 332 suspects involved in the 2009 Jeddah flood disaster will be referred to the BIP to be interrogate for money laundering crimes, and they will also be referred to the CIB for interrogation on charges of bribery, forgery, misuse of the powers of their office and making personal gains from a public post. They said all of the 332 suspects will be referred to the BIP and CIB for interrogation on charges of administrative and criminal offenses, adding that highly trained investigators have been given the files of the suspects in order to finalize the cases as rapidly as possible but without fixing a firm deadline for their completion.
