Oman: PDO corruption trial adjourned

A case relating to allegations of corruption at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) opened at Muscat Primary Court in mid-November, and was adjourned until early December. On trial are PDO tenders committee head Juma Al-Hinai, and two officials – managing director Parambathekandi Mohamed Ali and a finance department employee – at a prominent construction company named widely in the Omani press as Muscat Securities Market-listed Galfar Engineering & Contracting. Al-Hinai is accused by the public prosecutor of receiving OR200,000 ($519,413) from Galfar, which was allegedly seeking to extend the term of a PDO contract it had won in 2011.