Abdulrahman Al-Ali Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – The head of the Third Penal Circuit in the Administrative Court said the ongoing corruption trial of several public and private sector employees will resume on July 25. The defendants, who occupy various posts in government administrations and private companies, are accused of accepting bribes and neglecting their official duties. Defendant No. 1 said the numerous money transfers into his personal bank account were for an advertisement campaign that a government administration he worked for intended to carry out. He said several companies that were taking part in the campaign transferred the money into his account and that he never intended to keep the money. Defendant No. 2 stood before the court to explain why SR200,000 was transferred into the account of defendant No. 1. He denied ever having initiated the transfer while defendant No. 3 denied all charges leveled against him. Defendant No. 4, who is a project manager in a private company, denied paying a SR100,000 bribe to defendant No. 1. He said the amount was transferred by his company's management in Riyadh and represented a contribution for a media campaign. He denied being involved with the transfer. In his statement, defendant No. 5 also denied the charges leveled against him and said the amounts transferred into the account of defendant No. 1 were from his company to participate in the media campaign that the administration of defendant No. 1 wanted to carry out. He added that he had official correspondence to back up his claims. The presiding judge asked the defendants and their lawyers to leave the courtroom so he could consult with his advisors. He then allowed them to return and adjourned the case until July 25.
