JEDDAH — The judge looking into the crane crash case has ordered that personal appearance of defendants in the court is mandatory. "The defendants should not find an alibi and send lawyers or representatives," said judge Abdulaziz Al-Tuwairqi. As many as 110 people were killed and 260 others injured when a giant crane crashed on the Grand Mosque in September 2015. Sources said five out of 14 defendants were not present during the last court sessions. "The absence of the defendants from the court sessions will be met with the regular procedures including bringing them to the court by the power of the law," the judge said. One of the defendants, a businessman, had obtained permission from the authorities concerned to travel abroad for medical treatment on condition that he would attend the court session on his return. The defendants, who belong to Saudi Binladin Group, were banned from traveling as long as the trial continued. The sources said the judge asked the public prosecutor to prepare separate lists of charges against each of the defendants clearly stating the accusations against him with material evidence. They said the judge gave the public prosecutor enough time to do this work. In every session the court looks at an average of 100 papers containing the answers of the defendants to the charges against them. Tuwairqi also said the court will start considering the cases of the private rights after it has finished the public rights cases. So far five lawsuits concerning the private rights have been filed by the families of the victims. According to the sources, the court will hold its next session on Thursday from its new headquarters in Makkah.
