MAKKAH, 18 May 2008 — A court in the holy city sentenced 10 people who have been found responsible for the collapse of a hotel in Makkah two years ago to jail terms ranging from one to three months and fines of up to SR90,000, a lawyer said yesterday. At least 78 pilgrims died and 50 others were injured when the four-story structure housing pilgrims collapsed on Jan. 5, 2006, in Gazza, a short walk from the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
Seven officials from the Makkah Mayor’s office, an official from the Ministry of Commerce, the building’s owner and the contractor who built the hotel were held responsible for the accident just two days before the start of the annual Haj.
Ibrahim Al-Shadwi, the lawyer representing the owner of the construction firm, told Arab News that the hotel’s owner was sentenced to three months in jail and a fine of SR90,000, while the other nine got one month’s jail and a fine of SR10,000 each.
Al-Shadwi said that his client was ill and would not be able to serve his prison sentence.
“I plan to file a petition for clemency on medical grounds to get my client exempted from the jail sentence,” he said, adding that his client was brought to court from hospital, as the judge insisted that his presence was mandatory.
Judge Abdul Wali Al-Salami, who issued the verdict, said the punishment for the 10 accused men did not cover the private rights of the victims. “As no one represented the accident victims, their rights have not been considered in the judgment,” Al-Salami said.
The judge explained that the sentences were light considering the huge loss of life because the public prosecutor could not establish total responsibility of the accused in the accident. He also said none of the men admitted that they were directly or indirectly responsible.
He added that the sentences would be carried out only after endorsement from the Board of Appeal and that the men had a right to appeal.
