The Administrative Court here will start on Dec. 20 the trial of a Lebanese expatriate who had amassed more than SR1 billion in his bank account by illegally doing business in the Kingdom. Five top Saudi government officials, including a ministry undersecretary, will also face trial as the man's accomplices for allegedly helping him to conduct tasattur, the illegal practice by foreigners running businesses registered under the name of Saudis in return for regular payments. The court will also try a renowned Saudi businessman who owns the commercial registration for the company which is actually owned and managed by the Lebanese. Al-Hayat newspaper did not name the Lebanese but said in a report on Tuesday that the company had a capital of more than SR500 million and the defendant used to transfer large amounts of money home where he bought a number of houses. The Bureau of Investigations and Public Prosecution (BIP) has also charged the Saudi businessman and two other Lebanese expatriates with tasattur. The Lebanese was paid a monthly salary of SR200,000, an annual housing allowance of SR240,000 and other fringe benefits amounting to SR1 million a year. According to earlier press reports, the monthly salary of the Lebanese was only SR16,000 three years ago. The company has invested in advertising and publicity. According to court sources, the five top Saudi government officials Riyadh and the Eastern Province extended exceptional facilities to the defendant. The Saudi officials used their influence to ban advertisements on rooftops as a favor to the Lebanese though the system permits such ads.
