The National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) has referred as many as 123 projects suspected of committing various violations in placement of offers to the Attorney General for further investigations and legal action, Makkah daily said on Sunday quoting informed sources.
According to the sources, about 50 projects smelled of corruption while 73 others contained various violations, which were not up to the level of direct corruption.
They said Nazaha has checked 161 projects described as "giant development projects" with a total cost of more than SR387 billion during the fiscal year 2016-2017. The sources said Nazaha has also monitored a total of 53 projects, which have actually entered the execution phase.
They said the Ministry of Transport, with 24 suspicious projects, topped all the other ministries and government departments in the number of the foul schemes followed by the Ministry of Education, which has eight such projects.
According to the sources, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has seven suspicious projects while the projects of 10 other ministries and government departments contained various violations but no corruption charges.
The sources said about 45 percent of the total number of the projects Nazaha has checked were found to be including violations such as disregarding the government rules of purchases while about 31 percent of them contained blanket clear corruptions.
Nazaha, which checked the projects during the placement of offers, said about 24 percent of the projects were found to be safe and free of any violations or corruptions.
According to the sources, among others, the violations included not offering or placing the project on time, not making confidential estimated cost for the project, delaying of giving the project site to the contractor and not making the designs and blueprints before the project is offered for the public tender.
They said some projects were offered at estimate prices, which were higher than the approved budget.
According to the sources, about 50 projects smelled of corruption while 73 others contained various violations, which were not up to the level of direct corruption.
They said Nazaha has checked 161 projects described as "giant development projects" with a total cost of more than SR387 billion during the fiscal year 2016-2017. The sources said Nazaha has also monitored a total of 53 projects, which have actually entered the execution phase.
They said the Ministry of Transport, with 24 suspicious projects, topped all the other ministries and government departments in the number of the foul schemes followed by the Ministry of Education, which has eight such projects.
According to the sources, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has seven suspicious projects while the projects of 10 other ministries and government departments contained various violations but no corruption charges.
The sources said about 45 percent of the total number of the projects Nazaha has checked were found to be including violations such as disregarding the government rules of purchases while about 31 percent of them contained blanket clear corruptions.
Nazaha, which checked the projects during the placement of offers, said about 24 percent of the projects were found to be safe and free of any violations or corruptions.
According to the sources, among others, the violations included not offering or placing the project on time, not making confidential estimated cost for the project, delaying of giving the project site to the contractor and not making the designs and blueprints before the project is offered for the public tender.
They said some projects were offered at estimate prices, which were higher than the approved budget.