JEDDAH: A Saudi lawyer from Madinah who was reported by the local press to be associated with a woman accused of fraudulently obtaining SR10 million has denied any involvement in her case.
The lawyer, Saud Al-Hujaili, said reports that he was involved in the fraud of Umm Faris (dubbed the Madinah Embezzler or Hamoor in Arabic by the Saudi press) were “inaccurate.” Al-Hujaili said he has been representing Umm Faris in a private real estate case that is not connected to the SR10 million-fraud case.
Thirty cases of fraud have been filed against Umm Faris in Madinah’s General Court and 12 in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Madinah branch. A private source close to the case said Umm Faris was a victim of foul play, that she is not educated enough to steal SR10 million and that there are hidden details relating to the case that have not yet been revealed.
The source said Umm Faris worked in the Saudi stock market and was distributing profits to investors on a monthly basis prior to the crash. “She then lost a huge sum when the market collapsed. Those who agree to enter the stock market know the risks involved. If they are able to stomach the profit then they should accept losses,” he added.
He added that the General Court should not review the case, as it is the remit of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. “She should be tried like everyone else because she, like 90 percent of people working in the stock market, are working without a license,” he said.
He also wondered how an uneducated woman could possibly fool highly educated people. “If they were fooled then the law cannot protect them,” he added. Khaled Gumgumji, head of the Madinah branch of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that 12 cases have been filed against the woman at the ministry.
“Three months ago, the branch received three cases. Other people began filing cases against her after that. All of these cases involve checks bouncing. So far verdicts for six cases to the amount of SR20,000 have been delivered,” said Gumgumji. He added that Umm Faris’ legal representative has attended all of her court hearings.
Asked why the Ministry of Commerce was not reviewing all of the cases, Gumgumji said that the ministry reviews cases involving bonds, checks and bills, and that the General Court reviews cases involving contracts. He added that Umm Faris’ punishment could include fines, jail or both depending on the size of the case and how many cases she is involved in.
Col. Abdul Muhsin Al-Raddadi, official spokesman for Madinah police, said they have not received any court orders asking them to bring the woman to court. “We do not have any information about the case, and have only learned about it from the media,” he added.
