3 Somalis accused of forging Saudi citizenship

DAMMAM — Two brothers and a sister of Somali origin are facing charges of forging their family name to get Saudi citizenship, Al-Hayat daily reported.

The alleged forgery took place over 80 years ago.

Over 25 people, most of whom relatives and siblings of the main defendants, are facing similar charges as well. They allegedly committed the forgery eight decades ago and used the family name of a Saudi in order for the Civil Status Department in Al-Khobar to issue them Saudi identification cards.

Two brothers of the three main defendants could not be arraigned by the court because they had died. However, their children and grandchildren are facing the same charges.

A source in the Eastern Province Administrative Court told Al-Hayat that authorities started to get suspicious over 50 years ago but there was no concrete evidence.

The court decided last week to look into the case again.  One of the accused confirmed to Al-Hayat that the court has charged them with forging official documents.

He said: “Our ID cards have been suspended for 10 years now.

“Our children and grandchildren are facing the same problem as well.”

In 2001, the EP Civil Status Department summoned the Saudi man, whom the defendants claimed was their biological father.

During investigations, he stated that the names of the siblings on his family card were not his and he did not know them or how they ended up being listed in his name.

He died five years later.

A certificate of inheritance was issued by a court that did not include the names of the defendants. Only then did the authorities started to intensify their investigations into the case.

saudigazette.com