JEDDAH, 16 September 2004 — Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has announced the termination of six employees of the ministry after they were found guilty of bribery and forgery in cases related to illegal visas and forged shop licenses.
The minister’s announcement came after the appeals court upheld the sentence handed down by the Grievances Court in Al-Jouf.
Ali ibn Mohammad Al-Himami, a former employee at the Jouf Labor Office was found guilty of bribery.
The court sentenced him to one year in jail and a fine of SR10,000.
The court also sentenced Tareq ibn Hamed Al-Qurashi who was also an employee at the Jouf Labor Office for forgery and sentenced him to one year in jail and an SR1,000 fine.
The court also found four others guilty of also offering bribes as well as being involved in forgery.
In regards to the cases, Dr. Gosaibi said, “Unfortunately, those of weak conscience are to be found everywhere. I hope this sentence will be a deterrent for anyone who is tempted toward unlawful earning through trading in visas or accepting bribes in exchange for visas or licenses, be it ministers, representatives or others.”
The minister also thanked the investigation agencies but for whose efforts the arrest and sentencing would not have been possible.
He made it clear that his ministry was strictly scrutinizing issuance of visas and that it would not let racketeers go scot-free.
Gosaibi’s statement came two weeks after Health Minister Dr. Hamed Al-Manei announced that the owner of the largest pharmacy groups in the Kingdom was arrested for offering SR10 million as bribe to a senior ministry official.
Okaz reported meanwhile that the Ministry of Health has issued a warning to employees of public hospitals against accepting gifts or cash in exchange for doing their jobs. The ministry also instructed hospital directors to treat bribery cases harshly.
The ministry warned that any hospital employee carrying prohibited objects on hospital premises or breaching patient confidentialities would be fired.