JEDDAH, 5 July — An official of the directorate of girls education in Al-Ola governorate in the Madinah region was arrested while attempting to decamp with SR700,000 in public money. Teachers and other staff in a teachers’ training college in Al-Ola had complained to police and the girls education department in Madinah about non-payment of arrears and salaries because they suspected some foul play with the money to be paid to them. A committee comprising members of the local governorate, girls education department in Madinah and Al-Ola police was already inquiring into complaints against the department’s cashier, Al-Watan reported.

On the day of the arrival of the committee members in Al-Ola, the police received an urgent message from the director of girls education that the cashier planned to smuggle out a huge sum the same day. A special investigation team was sent to observe the activities of the suspect, according to Col. Ibrahim Al-Homaidi Al-Harbi, director of police. They tailed him to a deserted place 30 km from Ola where he left his car and joined another man waiting in a mini lorry.

The police team followed them for 60 km and then stopped the lorry. They found the sum of money hidden in a box in the lorry. The cashier, who was arrested, denied that he intended to steal the money.