JEDDAH — The Jeddah Administrative Court adjourned while looking into a bribery case involving a former Jeddah mayor and a businessman. The case has been deferred to the beginning of February to give the public prosecutor more time to specify the charges leveled at the first defendant. The lawyer of the former mayor requested the court to ask the prosecutor to submit a detailed account of all accusations against his client. The former mayor has been accused previously of taking SR1.5 million as a bribe from the second defendant, a businessman who is the former president of a national soccer club. The businessman allegedly paid the bribe to the former mayor in order for the latter to award him a flood canal project in Jeddah. The kickback was paid through checks withdrawn at a local bank with which the businessman had an account. In return for the bribe, the former mayor awarded the businessman several of Jeddah municipal projects. The first defendant denied before the presiding judge all charges and submitted a seven-page defense statement with documentary evidence of his non-involvement in the case. At this point, the judge requested the prosecutor to respond to the first defendant's defense statement and specify the charges against him. The second defendant told the court that he did sign some contracts with the former mayor but only after the latter had left the Jeddah municipality.
