He allegedly accepted SR200 million through an intermediary, sources told the newspaper.

Al-Madinah did not disclose the name of the judge but said preliminary investigations showed that the money was deposited into his bank account in installments.

The newspaper also reported that further investigations had revealed 16 employees from the court, the municipality, the Ministry of Agriculture and other government departments were involved.

The intermediary was referred to by his initials, Z.M. He fled to Turkey during the holy month of Ramadan after his activities were uncovered following a search of his office and the arrest of other court employees.

Interpol has been approached for assistance in bringing him back to the Kingdom.

The president of the Shariah court in Madinah, Sheikh Fahd Al-Mihaimeed, could not be reached for comment.

There have been mounting calls lately to root out corruption from Saudi society, especially in the judiciary. Many legal experts have proposed more stringent punitive measures and effective legislation to fight corruption. They have also called for a massive awareness campaign to warn the public about the menace and guard themselves against being victims of corrupt practices.