Saudi Arabia has opened an investigation against government officials, a hotel owner, and six others for corruption regarding coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quarantine housing for returning citizens, Arab News reported.
Nazaha, the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority, said it has filed a case against two senior employees at the General Directorate of Health Affairs in Riyadh, a hotel owner, and six other people for allegedly exploiting the government’s expenditure for COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Nazaha’s official source, the nine are allegedly taking advantage of the government by providing overpriced rates for the services required for quarantine housing. The source also claimed that these people were asking hotels for commissions as well as a chance to sign a contract with the Ministry of Health—resulting in the exaggerated rates.
Earlier, a senior official at the Ministry of Tourism was investigated for having provided exaggerated prices of housing quarantine to the Ministry of Health, which resulted to him admitting his breach of duty.
Nazaha reiterated that the government will not tolerate corruption of any kind, and that these violations made by employees do not reflect the way they work. It said that they will use its powers only with the principle of the supremacy of the law, and that it will punish those who commit such breach of duties in accordance with the law.
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