JEDDAH, 10 June — The Court of Grievances in Riyadh has revoked the verdict of a lower court against seven employees and subscribers to the Saudi Telecom Company for want of evidence on charges of engaging in illegal practices with the intention of cheating the company.
However, the court upheld sentences of three-year jail terms to 10 others tried on similar charges issued by the same court. The charges included tampering with telephone bills and issuing mobile chips to some subscribers illegally, while the subscribers themselves were accused of illegally dealing with the officials.
The company initiated action against the employees two years ago when it discovered that unpaid bills running into SR2.5 million were wrongly recorded as paid.
The employees were also found to have issued mobile chips to subscribers, who colluded with them, against the names of innocent Saudis.
Although the court revoked the verdict against the seven accused for want of evidence, it asked the lower court to reexamine their cases.
The employees were also accused of breaking secret codes to gain access to their fellow workers’ computers to mislead the company that the wrong entries were made by other employees.
Jeddah police had earlier arrested some STC employees who were found to have issued mobile chips to the operators of illegal phone booths, where telephone calls can be made at low rates.
