The judge in the Makkah crane crash case has said all 14 defendants must appear at future court sessions, according to local media.
Fourteen employees of Saudi Binladin Group are on trial charged with causing the crane collapse in Makkah that killed 111 people, injured 210 and permanently disabled eight others on September 11 2015.
The defendants include six Saudis, two Pakistanis and one from each of Jordan, the Philippines, Canada, Palestine, Egypt and the UAE.
The charges are mainly of negligence, manslaughter and causing injuries and disabilities.
Saudi Gazette reported that up to five defendants were not in court during the last court session, but were legally represented.
“The defendants should not find an alibi and send lawyers or representatives,” Judge Abdulaziz Al Tuwairqi was quoted as saying.
“The absence of the defendants from the court sessions will be met with the regular procedures including bringing them to the court by the power of the law,” the judge added.
Sources told the newspaper that the judge had asked the public prosecutor to outline the specific charges against each defendant, including material evidence.
During each session, the court reviews roughly 100 pages of answers from the defendants relating to the charges against them. The next session will take place on Thursday, according to the newspaper.
Five lawsuits have also been filed at the Summary Court in Jeddah, the first lawsuits by families of victims of last year’s crane crash in Makkah.
The cases reportedly claim compensation after 110 people died and more than 200 others were injured when a crane involved in the redevelopment of the Grand Mosque in Makkah collapsed in September 2015.
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