Their transfer orders coincided with the ongoing investigations of the committee headed by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, set up following the Nov. 25 floods in Jeddah. However, no criminal charges were brought against the four notaries.

"The ministry rejected their requests for early retirement because of two reasons. Firstly, their lack of long service that would normally entitle them to early retirement. The second reason was that if they retired from their new posts, it would be of lesser financial benefit to them than if they resigned," according to one source.

The source added that their resignations were accepted because they did not take up their new jobs even after their superiors asked them to do so. Justice Minister Muhammad Al-Eissa said the notaries were not forced to resign and denied the resignations had anything to do with the flood investigations.

The minister added that any official found to have been negligent in their role in connection with the floods could be punished even after resigning.

A source at the Justice Ministry said earlier that 19 officials would be transferred from their present positions in Jeddah notary offices to other offices within the ministry.

A number of them threatened to resign or request early retirement in protest of such transfers.

They complained that the orders were damaging to their good reputations because it would create an impression that they were being transferred because of corruption.

Four other notaries were arrested in Jeddah following their involvement in illegal property registrations last year.

Notaries in the Kingdom are officials appointed by the Ministry of Justice to authenticate documents such as land deeds, marriage certificates and contracts.

There were 372 notaries working in 129 notary public offices in the Kingdom, according to figures published in 2007.