Shoura tells Nazaha not to ‘waste time on petty graft’

Members of the Shoura Council have advised the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) not to waste time on petty cases but concentrate on fighting corruption in major projects.
The Shoura members made these comments at a question-and-answer session held with the Nazaha recently.
Dr. Fahd Al-Hammad, vice-chairman of the Shoura Council, said that the council listened to the report of the Nazaha, read out by Abdullah Al-Zafiri.
The Shoura members said that the Nazaha plays a crucial role in eliminating corruption in the Kingdom. They called on other government bodies with similar mandates to coordinate their work with the anti-graft body.
In its submission to the Shoura Council, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) said that government bodies must submit responses to Nazaha inquiries.
The HRC called for the Nazaha to develop clear criteria as a framework for deciding on cases to be referred to regulatory and investigative agencies.
One Shoura Council member said that since this was the first report of the Nazaha, “it should have included its future plans, strategies and objectives.”
Another member asked why the organization only gave details of 50 cases but had said it received 228 reports. “So what does it mean when it says that it handled the things contained in them?” he asked.
Another member wanted to know if the Nazaha “receives reports only from citizens, or does its staff embark on projects and initiatives?“
The council agreed to give the Nazaha time to respond to the questions at a future session.