RIYADH – The president of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai’a) Abdul Aziz Al-Humayyen has removed the head of Media and Public Relations Ahmad Bin Muhammad Al-Jardan from his post and transferred him to the Financial and Administrative Affairs Department, Al-Watan Arabic newspaper said.
The decision followed a press statement by Al-Jardan published in a local newspaper on Monday regarding the case of a man reportedly beaten by members of the Hai’a at a shopping mall parking lot in Riyadh’s Al-Bade’ah District to where he had driven his wife.
Muhammad Al-Qahtani said he reported the assault to police two weeks ago.
Al-Jardan claimed in his statement that the man was “kissing and hugging” his wife in public and that the couple had admitted the offense.
Al-Qahtani met Al-Humayyen on Monday and was offered an apology in which he was told that the statement did not represent the Hai’a’s stance which tries “not to defame anyone.”
“Al-Humayyen’s reception was warm and friendly, unlike the statement that defamed me and my wife,” Al-Qahtani said.
“The statement tried to twist the facts and accuse me of violating public rules of conduct.”
“Al-Humayyen promised me justice, and I will not sue the Hai’a or Al-Jardan or the members who attacked me until the results of the presidency’s investigations are announced,” he added.
Al-Jardan apologized to Al-Qahtani in a statement published Tuesday in Al-Riyadh newspaper, and said that the “defamatory” statement was given before investigations had been concluded.
Al-Jardan added that the statement did not reflect the policies of the Hai’a, and that the members responsible for the assault had been suspended and were being investigated.
Al-Watan also reports sources as saying that Al-Humayyen has ordered the appointment of new spokesmen for the Hai’a in several regions of the Kingdom which are expected to be announced next week. – SG