“No accusations against any of the judges at the General Court in Madinah have come to the Supreme Judicial Council,” said the statement that was issued on Wednesday.

Local newspapers reported last week that a committee from the Supreme Judicial Council was investigating a judge at the Shariah Court in Madinah who was alleged to have taken SR200 million worth of bribes to issue land ownership deeds.

The reports also alleged that 16 court, municipality and Ministry of Agriculture employees were also involved in the scam, and that Interpol had been contacted for help in bringing some of the accused back to the Kingdom.

“The council follows up on and supervises courts and the activities of judges in addition to making periodic inspections to evaluate their efficiency in line with regulations governing the Kingdom’s justice system,” said the statement.

“The council also deals with complaints made by or against judges without publishing them in the media. This is the operational procedure followed by the council; this preserves the respectability and integrity of the judiciary, and protects the interests of the public,” the statement said.

The statement also denied reports that some lawyers had informed the council about violations committed at the Madinah General Court. “The council has not received any such report,” it said.

It finally advised the media to be objective and to verify facts before publishing reports. It also asked journalists not to report news in a sensationalist manner.

Commenting on the Kingdom’s judges, it said, “The judges are characterized with integrity, trustworthiness and a sense of responsibility.”