JEDDAH: An official source at Jeddah municipality told Arab News that municipal activities had not been hampered by the absence of several high-ranking municipal officials who were arraigned two weeks ago by the committee probing the flood tragedy in Jeddah.
“Replacements were called in after 16 high-ranking officials were summoned for interrogation and suspended from their duties. The action against them does not necessarily mean that they are linked to the Jeddah flood because other investigations by security departments were already under way before the flood hit the city,” the source said. He added that the municipality was currently busy with the task of emptying water collected in the precautionary dam.
Denying a report that the date for pumping out the water from the dam was postponed because of demands from some quarters outside the municipality, the source said, “The date for emptying the dam has been postponed by two weeks on the basis of the advice received from experts working with the municipal team on the project.”
He added, “Since the work is done under the supervision of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed, there is no reason for delay or deficiency in the work.”
He also said the municipality was fully cooperating with the investigation committee and giving the committee access to all municipal files and documents.
In another development, a section of the local media reported that several employees of public notary offices in the Jeddah governorate were dismissed from their jobs and arrested on corruption charges in connection with the recent flashfloods. But a Justice Ministry spokesperson denied the reports. Quoting the spokesman, the newspapers reported that an investigation about the involvement of any ministry employee would be conducted and if anyone was found involved he would be severely punished.
The spokesman affirmed an earlier statement from the Minister of Justice Muhammad Al-Eisa about the investigation and about publishing the names of the ministry employees involved and their punishment.
Arab News has been trying since Saturday to contact Abdullah Hamad Al-Saadan, media spokesman and adviser to the Ministry of Justice, to verify the truth of the reports.
When efforts to speak with the spokesman failed, Arab News was advised by an official in the office, who introduced himself as Ibrahim, to send all queries by fax to the spokesman.
The ministry’s spokesman has still not responded.
Meanwhile, stories have been spreading in Jeddah about the discovery of various flaws in notary offices that were brought to light by the flooding.
