Those implicated in last year's flood disaster could face a broad range of charges including bribery, forgery, abuse of power and deception, according to a local legal expert. Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, a professor of law at King Abdulaziz University and legal adviser to the Human Rights Commission (HRC), said that a number of agencies will be handling cases, depending on the charges. This includes the Commission for Investigation and General Prosecution and the Control and Investigation Bureau. “If any of the accused is charged with crimes such as bribery, forgery, embezzlement and abuse of power, the Control and Investigation Bureau will look into it.” He explained that in the case of public crimes, which calls for corporal punishment – such as cheating, deception and stealing other people's possessions – then this will be referred to the Commission for Investigation and General Prosecution. Those charged with misrepresentation, cheating in contracts and not fulfilling contractual obligations will have their cases handled by the General Court, he said. Al-Khouli said the penalties for those found guilty include disciplinary action, warnings, salary cuts, deprivation of annual increments and dismissals. Penalties such as fines and imprisonment will be decided by the court according to the seriousness of the crime. If guilty officials are top grade employees, they will be sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison according to Article 15 of the Disciplinary Regulations. If a civil servant is found to have retired, but had committed a crime while working, then he or she could still face charges. Al-Khouli dismissed the possibility that the accused in the Jeddah disaster will be prosecuted under Article A, which calls for the death penalty. The death penalty will only be imposed for penalties which include treason and disclosure of state secrets.
