RIYADH, 26 September — A National Guard officer in charge of admission at King Khaled Military Academy here has been fired for taking bribe from a student.
Prince Miteb ibn Abdullah, assistant deputy commander of the National Guard for military affairs, confirmed the action.
Prince Miteb, who is director of the academy, told Arab News that the student cooperated with investigators to identify the officer, who asked him to pay a certain amount of money to ensure a seat at the academy. "We have taken deterrent action against the officer," the prince said.
Asked about the efforts made by the academy to prevent repetition of such cases, Prince Miteb said there is a plan to reduce the term of the admission committee’s supervisor from two years to one year.
He disclosed that officers in charge of admission were facing heavy pressure from parents and others. "Thousands of students present applications to get seats at the academy every year and many of them come up with recommendations by three or more prominent personalities. Now you can imagine the pressure on the admission committee," he explained.
Prince Miteb said the academy was providing admission to applicants in light of specific rules and regulations. "The committee members have to follow these rules while selecting students for admission," he said, adding that the names of students selected by the committee are then forwarded to Prince Abdullah, the regent and commander of the National Guard, for his approval.
