Article 6 of the Saudi Anti-Corruption Authority Law

This article sets out the procedural rules the Authority applies to corruption crimes. Its provisions are:

• The laws applied: The Authority applies to corruption crimes the provisions in:
  • The Law of Criminal Procedure and its Implementing Regulations.
  • The Public Prosecution Law.
• The restriction: This is taking into account the provisions in this Law; if this Law contains a special provision, that one is observed.
• Setting the powers: The powers of applying those provisions are set according to a regulation prepared by the Authority containing the necessary detailed provisions, and submitted to the King for consideration of approval.

This means that a defendant in a corruption crime that the Authority investigates enjoys the procedural safeguards in the Law of Criminal Procedure, and the rules of the Public Prosecution Law also apply to them, within what this Law requires. The details of the distribution of powers within the Authority are found in the regulation referred to, and the article does not state its content.

The article connects to Article 5, which allows the Authority to request records and documents from the bodies covered by its powers, and to Article 7, which provides that the President issues a decision specifying the Authority's staff who have the status of criminal seizure officers.

Anyone subject to an investigation into a corruption crime would do well to engage a lawyer specializing in criminal cases to learn their procedural rights.