According to a report recently in Al-Watan, the businessman, who was the driver's sponsor, is suing the Passport Department for issuing an exit visa to the alleged culprit without his permission.
Under the country's immigration law, foreign residents are issued exit visas that require clearance in order to stem the escape of criminals. Part of this clearance process requires the sponsor's permission, but the businessman says the department did not contact him and issued the visa while he was abroad on a business trip.
The businessman, who was not identified in the report, claims that his driver of 17 years obtained a key to his safe and emptied it of cash while he was away.
The businessman says his driver converted the dinars into Saudi riyals and managed to obtain an exit visa to travel to Bahrain.
Nobody from the Passport Department was quoted in the report, but the newspaper claims that an unidentified Passport Department official admitted the mistake of issuing the exit visa in a Saudi court proceeding. The businessman is claiming damages for the full sum of the stolen money, plus SR100,000 for emotional damage and SR200 for the court filing fee.
