Jeddah, Sep 14(Arab News):  A former undersecretary of the Jeddah mayor who is being tried at the Jeddah summary court for alleged negligence during the flooding crisis of November 2009 on Tuesday asked to be referred to the administrative court, which usually tries government officials accused of committing crimes related to their official duties.

The court suspended its sessions to study the request, which was presented in a written submission.

The accused came to the court accompanied by his two lawyers to present his written replies to the charges against him compiled by the Prosecution and Investigation Commission (PIC), which had collected 13 pieces of evidence incriminating him.

The prosecutor said the investigation commission determining who was responsible for the flood crisis escalating to catastrophic levels, formed by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, had already deemed him guilty. He called for severe punishment against the defendant.

Replying to the PIC’s charges, the two lawyers said in their affidavit that the accused was a public servant and therefore had to be tried by the administrative court. The lawyers said the question of legal competence was among the basic matters the court should have considered before looking at the case.

The PIC presented to the court confessions previously made by the defendant, who admitted that he had committed a mistake when he allowed citizens in east Jeddah to build their houses in wadis blocking floodwater paths.

In his previous confessions, which he had authenticated before the court, the accused admitted that he called for approving residential plots in the valley beds. He said he did that because there were no aerial photos allowing him to make a better judgment.

The former undersecretary was accused of causing the deaths of many people and severe damage to public property.

More than 120 people died and 350 others injured in the crisis, in which more than 10,000 vehicles were lost or damaged.