MAJMA: As many as 400 victims of embezzlement involving SR186 million have objected to a move by the main accused in the case to seek pardon.
Nasir Al-Quraishi, spokesman for the victims, has also renewed an appeal to the court to look into their private rights petition after the court rejected it earlier.
The man accused in the embezzlement case has already filed a petition seeking pardon to the concerned committee. This move follows a decision by the Cassation Court to uphold the verdict pronounced against the man and two accomplices by the Shariah court in Majma, near Riyadh. The names of the accused and guilty have been withheld.
The court sentenced them to imprisonment and lashes for cheating and embezzling money of more than 400 investors. The shareholders had invested six years ago to establish an automobile installment and general trading company, according to a report in Al-Riyadh Arabic daily.
The Riyadh governorate conducted an investigation into the embezzlement charges and released its report five years ago. The report showed that the three accused have been involved in cheating and embezzling money invested by the shareholders.
In its verdict, the Majma court confirmed the charges against the three and awarded them jail terms and lashes.
Al-Quraishi alleged that the main accused is still at large while his associates are serving their jail terms. He expressed astonishment as to why he has not been arrested and sent to jail.
Quoting the report released by the governorate, Al-Quraishi noted that the accused managed to collect the investments over a period of less than three years.
“Most of the investments had later been found withdrawn from the concerned bank accounts. The investors are still in oblivion on the fate of their money. It has also been revealed in the report that most of the money had been deposited in the account of the main accused, who later withdrew it. There were no major deposits made into the accounts of the two other accused,” Al-Quraishi said, adding that more than 400 investors have been making relentless efforts to get back their money over the past six years but to no avail.
Al-Quraishi expressed his surprise that the main accused is yet to be arrested and sent to jail even six months after pronouncing a verdict against him.
“It is quite astonishing that he is free and allowed to seek pardon. It is also unfortunate that the chief of Majma court rejected the victims’ petitions on several occasions to treat the case as something involving their personal right,” he said, adding that this provided the main accused with an opportunity to seek pardon. Arab News
