AL-BAHA — Prince Mashari bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Baha Region, has ordered the release of the members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Hai'a) who are accused of taking part in a chase that resulted in an accident that killed Abdulrahman Ahmad Al-Ghamdi.34-year-old Al-Ghamdi died and his pregnant wife, Samirah, and the couple's two children were injured when the Hai'a engaged Al-Ghamdi in a high speed car chase until his car fell off a bridge. The Hai'a had allegedly become involved in an argument with Al-Ghamdi after they complained about the volume of his car's stereo. The couple's two children were seriously injured in the crash and Samirah's right hand was amputated.Capt. Abdul Nasser Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, Spokesman of Baha Police, said that the five Hai'a members implicated in the unwarranted death, were released on bail until the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution in Baha completes the course of the investigations and necessary legal procedures, and the Baha Administrative Court issues a judgment.Doctors at King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Riyadh recently said the victim's son, Khaled, and his daughter, Dorar, had been discharged from the hospital in good health and Samirah will be referred to Prince Sultan Hospital to complete procedures for the attachment of a prosthetic arm. Earlier, Abdullateef Aal Al-Sheikh, the Hai'a chief, said he would ensure an impartial inquiry into the Baljurashi incident.While conveying his condolences to the bereaved family members, he expressed deep sorrow and pain at the unfortunate accident. The Hai'a chief asked that accusations not be leveled against any party, as investigations were still under way. “We cannot blame anyone specifically because the concerned authorities are conducting investigations now and nothing has been proved yet. We don't know whether it was actually a pursuit or if something else happened,” he said in his first press statement following the incident. “The emir of Baha is well-known for being just, farsighted and wise. The case is in honest hands and justice will be served,” he said. Al-Sheikh said he had instructed the president of the Hai'a in Baha region not to interfere in the investigations so that the case could take its “correct and just course” and denied rumors that the Hai'a had formed a panel to investigate the incident.Samirah later said she hopes that the committee investigating the accident won't blame the poor road conditions for the accident. “I directly hold accountable the police and Hai'a patrols for the incident which killed my husband,” she said. — SG
