RIYADH, 21 March 2007 — Police in the Saudi capital have managed to identify members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, who allegedly barged into a government hospital in Riyadh and assaulted a security guard and a traffic policeman last week. The commission members claimed that they were entering the hospital compound to arrest a man thought to be in possession of drugs.

Security guards at the Prince Salman Hospital noticed how a Toyota Camry with tinted windows and no government logo was speeding toward the hospital’s entrance through an exit lane. A traffic policeman, who saw the car speeding, notified guards to close a gate located further on and which leads to the hospital’s staff accommodation.

According to the security guard and eyewitnesses, a commission member came out of the car in front of the closed gate and began struggling with the guard, which finally resulted in the commission member forcefully taking away the key to the gate’s chain.

The commission member is also alleged to have grabbed the man by his belt, asked him for his ID, and then ordered him to get into the vehicle. When the guard refused, his colleague got out of the car, grabbed him by the neck, ripped his shirt, and, together with his colleague, forced him into the car.

Muhammad Al-Shehri, another security guard on duty, came to the rescue of his colleague and freed him with the help of the traffic policeman.

The guard said that when he came to the scene, he saw a commission member grabbing his colleague and trying to forcefully put him in the car.

Al-Shehri said he tried to reason with the commission member, but he refused to listen. The commission man then pulled off the security officer’s nametag and threw it on the ground.

At that point, the security guard with the help of the traffic officer, managed to bring the commission member into offices belonging to the traffic police at the hospital. The guard added that the commission member threatened to have them fired from their jobs and cursed them while in police custody.

Soon, a GMC Suburban with four commission members arrived at the hospital and allegedly assaulted the police officer in an attempt to free their colleague. A security guard managed to grab hold of the nametag belonging to one of the commission members.

The police were later summoned to the location when things grew further out of hand. “We can confirm that the incident took place at the Prince Salman Hospital last week,” said Riyadh Police spokesman Maj. Sami Al-Shuwairikh.

“A committee has been called to investigate this matter,” he said, adding that the police were able to identify the men involved in the fracas. “Investigations are still taking place with other concerned government authorities,” he added.

The spokesman said that if the commission members are found guilty, they will be made to appear in front of a Shariah court.

According to security guards at the hospital, the commission members said they were entering the hospital to arrest a man thought to be in possession of drugs. The man is supposed to be living in the staff quarters.