An official source in the Public Prosecution said that the investigations by the Public Prosecution Office have resulted in accusing 11 individuals and commercial entities of forming an organized criminal group for the purpose of embezzling public money.
And it indicated that the intensive investigation procedures revealed that the aforementioned embezzled government-backed diesel by buying it in large quantities, taking advantage of their possession of fuel filling stations, and illegally reselling it to people who smuggled it outside the Kingdom and sold it in other countries.
She added that the investigations found that the aforementioned people committed a number of other crimes, including: money laundering, forgery, cover-up, and violating the banking control system.
She pointed out that the judicial ruling was issued containing the conviction of the perpetrators of what was attributed to them, and sentencing them to imprisonment for a total of 65 years, and the confiscation of the objects and assets used in the crime and the proceeds from it and the means by which it was committed.
She stated that the ruling included imposing fines exceeding 29 million riyals, preventing commercial entities from contracting with public authorities, canceling the licenses of gas stations belonging to the perpetrators, and deporting expatriates from the country following the end of their sentences.
The source stressed the sanctity of the felony over public money, and that violating it is subject to strict criminal accountability, and noted that the Public Prosecution is continuing to protect the national economy from attacking it, and will present anyone who seeks to harm the security and economy of the country to the competent court to demand the penalties prescribed in this regard.
