MP accuses Sudanese Hajj office of fraud

The head of the Sudanese Hajj Monitoring Committee has accused the director of the Hajj and Umrah Administration Office in Khartoum of bribing officials and embezzlement.​

MP and head of the Hajj Monitoring Committee Omar Diyab reported to the federal Parliament on Monday that the director of the Muslim pilgrimages office, Muti Mohamed Ahmed, bribed the members of a delegation that travelled to Saudi Arabia on a fact-finding mission in October.

The delegation included representatives of the Council of Ministers and a number of MPs. They received bribes ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 Saudi Riyals ($1,600 to $2,130).

Diyab said that the Hajj and Umrah Administration Office records fake rent amounts in the Saudi port of Jeddah. The rooms in three buildings are let for 720 Riyals per room, at a rate of 90 Riyals per person, while the rent of such a room in Saudi Arabia stands at 120 Riyals. Two other buildings allocated for the accommodation of pilgrims have been let to other people.

The MP further reported that the director offered him 100,000 Riyals ($26,635) for not revealing his office's fraudulent practices. He added that he refuses to appear at the Parliament to submit his report.

The Hajj and Umrah Administration Office, a department of the Sudanese Endowments and Guidance Ministry, takes care of all travel and accommodation arrangements for Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. Last year, pilgrims paid SDG45,000 ($7,320) for a travel arrangement.