JEDDAH – The trial against 10 people accused in cases related to the deadly Jeddah floods of 2009 is scheduled to resume Sunday. The Administrative Court had adjourned hearings into all flood-related cases scheduled in the fasting month of Ramadan without issuing any decision. Among key suspects whose cases are to be looked into this month are a former Jeddah mayor and nine others, including a deputy mayor, managers for flood-prevention projects and private sector employees accused of offering bribes to municipality officials. The court is likely to issue verdicts in some of these cases next week, according to press reports published Wednesday. The municipal officials were offered bribes to overlook negligence in carrying out different projects according to contract specifications. They are facing charges of abuse of power, engaging in trade and embezzlement of funds exceeding SR7 million set aside for projects related to mitigating floodwater hazards in Jeddah. The Administrative Court has completed the trial of eight key suspects in cases related to the flood disaster in the city. It acquitted six businessmen, government employees and officials of a sports club of charges of bribery leveled against them by the public prosecutor. In a verdict on May 21, the court awarded jail terms and fines to two defendants, a municipal official and a businessman. Each of them was sentenced to five-year jail terms and fines amounting to SR500,000. The Nov. 26, 2009, floods in Jeddah have been described by Civil Defense officials as the worst to hit the city in 27 years. More than 120 people were killed and thousands vehicles were swept away or damaged. The poorer neighborhoods in the south of Jeddah were particularly hard hit. Many of the houses damaged by the flood were built on low-lying land and the situation was made worse by the absence of a city-wide drainage system. The floods spread after just a few hours of torrential rainfall. Inadequate preparations and poor rescue efforts were blamed for the huge human and material losses. A total of 332 suspects have already been charged with various crimes linked to the disaster. — SG
