Ipinag-utos ni Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Leila de Lima ang pag-iimbestiga sa ilang opisyal at operatiba ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) na nangotong umano sa mga Saudi national na naninirahan sa Pilipinas.
Ang hakbang ni De Lima ay bunsod ng liham na ipinadala ng Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at Department of Tourism (DoT).
Sa pamamagitan ng Department Order No. 729, nagtatag si De Lima ng fact-finding committee na pinamumunuan ni DoJ Assistant Secretary Zabedin Azis.
“In the interest of the service and pursuant to the provisions of existing laws, a Special Fact Finding Committee, composed of representatives from the DoJ, NBI and National Prosecution Service (NPS), is hereby created to conduct an inquiry into the serious allegations set forth in the letters of the Royal Embassy of Saudi in Manila,” saad sa order.
Kabilang sa mga umano’y biniktima ng mga tiwaling taga-NBI sina Majdi Abdulhamed Yaghmoor, Hassand Alharbi, Ahmad Al Ghaneem at Farhan Alsolobi, na kinotongan umano ng P20,000 hanggang P300,000.
“In light of such serious allegations, which not only cast the National Bureau of Investigation in a bad light, but likewise compromise the integrity of the legitimate operations against human traffickers, as well as our nation’s diplomatic relations with countries whose nationals may have been victimized by such alleged criminal syndicates, the Special Fact Finding Committee was created,” saad pa sa order ni De Lima. - Rey G. Panaligan