A senior labor official is facing trial for allegedly forging the signature of Labor Minister Adel Fakeih in order to issue 1,083 visas to recruit Pakistani workers for three Saudi companies.

The Control and Investigation Board has referred the case involving the director general of a Labor Ministry department and three businessmen to the Administrative Court to take punitive action.

According to informed sources, the trial will start soon after Eid Al-Adha holidays.

The case took place three years ago when the three companies applied for visas and the forgeries were detected later by the agencies concerned before the issuance of visas.

The board accused the ministry official of favoring the three businessmen as he allegedly forged documents with the help of another anonymous person.

The ministry official is charged with forging Fakeih’s signature knowingly and intentionally.

The board based its accusations on the confessions made by two of the businessmen, and the statement of an employee at the minister’s office.

The former director of the Labor Office in Jeddah had also informed the board that the defendant was personally following up the paperwork of the visas, adding that the official used to contact him by cell phone to expedite the process.

The board accused the three businessmen of pressuring the official to violate rules and speed up paperwork related to visas. It has asked the Administrative Court to prosecute the four defendants on the basis of laws that have been issued to fight forgery and bribery.