JEDDAH: The Ministry of Justice has said that the responsibility for investigating breaches of regulations on the part of judges rests with the Higher Judicial Council. It also said it had received clarification from the Council that the latter had not received any list of charges from the official committee tasked with investigating the Madina court judge facing allegations of administrative corruption. The ministry statement said that under 2007 Judicial Law, responsibility for inquiries into judges and alleged violations had passed from the ministry to the Higher Judicial Council. The Council clarification said that it had enlisted a judicial inspector to establish the facts of the case and check that proper procedures were being pursued in the Madina General Court. The Council said that investigations were ongoing into the truth of the judge's statements and his claims that he was “under a magic spell” at the time of the alleged violations. The judge, the Council said, had to its knowledge “not spoken to any media outlet on the subject”. The Madina judge was first taken into custody during Ramadan for allegedly accepting bribes to arrange through his court illegal ownership of real estate. Several businessmen and state employees along with seven engineering and planning firms are all suspected of involvement in the various cases that passed through his courtroom. The case raised eyebrows, however, when the judge claimed that he was “under a magic spell” at the time of the offenses. He claimed he was later cured of the spell through “ruqya”, healing through Qur'anic recitation. Legal experts told Okaz/Saudi Gazette earlier this week that they expect the judge to have the funds he earned during the course of his duties seized by the state and that if the case goes to trial it will be heard behind closed doors. The judge will be allowed a defense attorney, and, due to the special nature of the case, the ruling will be decided by a majority at the Higher Judicial Council and will be final.
