Haj official acquitted of corruption charges

An appeals court has acquitted a senior official in the Saudi Ministry of Haj (pilgrimage) of corruption charges, overturning a previous court sentence to jail him for one year.

A court of first instance in the Western town of Makkah had sentenced the Ministry’s undersecretary and six aides to one year in prison and fined them SR50,000 (Dh50,000) after they were convicted of mismanagement of funds allocated for foreign pilgrims going to Haj in Makkah at government expense.

Sada newspaper said the Administrative court in Makkah this week acquitted the undersecretary and his aides of all charges.

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