JEDDAH: Saudi legal experts and academics have welcomed the order of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to conduct investigations into the handling of the fatal floods in Jeddah following torrential rain last week, particularly by officials and government departments. They also demanded that any person, whose neglect of their responsibilities before or during the tragedy is established, should be tried before an Islamic court.
“The decision of the king to probe the role of officials is bold and the sharp language of the order reflects the pain the suffering of the flood victims has caused him,” law professor at Jeddah-based King Abdulaziz University Naif Al-Sharif said on Tuesday.
“We hope that the committee set up by the king to investigate the officials’ role in the tragedy will complete investigations quickly even if it means expanding the committee with independent adjudicators such as university professors. The committee should go into the field to conduct inquiries instead of basing it in an office and listen to what ordinary people have to say on the matter,” Al-Sharif said.
He also stressed the significance of publicly identifying any culprits, as it would have a deterring effect on other officials tempted by corruption. He also demanded that any ex-officials involved in the matter, either resigned or retired, should also be punished.
He also urged the committee to look into particular infrastructure projects implemented in Jeddah costing billions of riyals.
“The projects have not benefited people in any way and nobody knows where the money went,” he said, demanding more involvement from foreign companies in future projects.
Chief of the lawyers at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Majed Qarub said the king’s order, which contains four clauses regarding the treatment of the crisis in Jeddah, is in itself a law.
“I hope that the committee members will be strong and courageous to publicize the names of the officials involved in irregularities, even if a department that has a representative on the committee is found to be involved in the tragedy,” Qarub said.
In his view rushing with investigations into officials and departments could do more harm than good. However, efforts to determine losses and compensation to the victims should be concluded quickly, he added.
He concluded that many government departments and media had a role in the handling of the tragedy, directly or indirectly.
