Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has approved the rulings of a Makkah Criminal Court of Appeal issued in February against the Saudi Binladin Group and officials in the Makkah Grand Mosque crane crash case, local media reported.
The court fined the Saudi Binladin Group 20 million Saudi riyals (Rs 44,45,43,308) after finding it guilty of negligence and safety breaches in the tragedy.
The court also sentenced eight directors, heads of departments, executives, and engineers to three years in prison and a fine.
The court acquitted three engineers and supervisors of the charges and suspended the trial of another defendant due to his death. It also recommended that some entities be subject to criminal liability due to their dereliction of duty.
According to the Arabic daily Okaz, the Supreme Court confirmed that the ruling had acquired the final character by rejecting the cassation request, and appended the ruling in the executive form, with the phrase “This ruling is final and obligatory.”
The Supreme Court’s final verdict comes almost eight years after the Haram crane crash.
On September 11, 2015, a crane collapsed in the Grand Mosque in Makkah during the Haj season due to strong winds and heavy rains, killing 110 people and injuring 209 others, including many foreigners, leaving “material damage” to the building of the Grand Mosque of Makkah.
The crane was one of many construction companies set up as part of a multi-billion dollar expansion plan to accommodate the growing numbers of pilgrims.
