Article Sixteen of the Council of Ministers Law establishes the principle that members of the Council of Ministers shall be tried for violations committed in the course of their official duties, in accordance with a special system that defines such violations and sets forth the procedures for accusation, trial, and the composition of the judicial body.
Accordingly, a special system was issued by Royal Decree No. M/88 dated 22/9/1380 AH to regulate the trial of ministers and those of equivalent rank. Article Five of this system stipulates that:
A person charged under the provisions of this system shall be punished with imprisonment for a period ranging from three to ten years if he commits any of the following offenses:
A. Acts or behaviors that would influence—by increase or decrease—the prices of goods, real estate, currency, or securities for the purpose of obtaining personal benefit for himself or others.
B. Violating regulations, bylaws, or orders in a manner that results in the loss of the State’s financial rights or the legally established rights of individuals.
C. Personal interference in the affairs of the judiciary, government bodies, or public agencies.
Article Six further provides that a conviction of a minister or an equivalent official necessarily results in his dismissal from office, his permanent disqualification from holding public positions, and his prohibition from serving on the boards of institutions, companies, or any public entity.
This system does not leave these provisions as mere abstract principles; rather, its second chapter details the procedures for investigation and referral, and specifies the composition of the authority responsible for investigating any minister or equivalent official once serious indications arise that he has committed one of the offenses defined in the system.
Article Twenty-Five states that the decisions of the Trial Commission are final upon issuance, not subject to appeal, and immediately enforceable.