MUSCAT: The public Prosecution affirmed that businessman, Mudahir Al Tajir, who accused senior officials of involving in corruption cases, is accused of himself being involved in nine criminal cases.

It added Al Tajir also blackmailed investors from one of the Gulf states for more than 6 million Omani Riyals (Dh57.21 million).

The prosecution said Al Tajir, who ows the Al Tajir Ceramic shop in Barka province, is wanted by some countries for blackmail and fraud.

“The relationship of Al Tajir with those officials didn’t affect his trial”, said prosecution adding such relations were commercial and had nothing to do with those officials’ jobs.

, Al Tajir is also facing charges of disturbing public order and morals by disseminating photos of him with those senior officials in social media. He was found voialating cyber law articles 16 and 19, according to public prosecution.

Article 16 of the Cybercrime Law states anyone who uses the internet or other technology for taking photographs, spreading news, video or audio recordings about the private life of individuals, even if it is right, or for insulting or defaming others, will be jailed from one year to three years and slapped with a fine not exceeding 5,000 Omani riyals.

Article 19 states anyone uses the internet for spreading or promoting something that affects religious values or the public order will be penalised with a jail term not more than three years and a fine not exceed of 3,000 Omani riyals. The case dated back in 2007, when real estate in Oman was in the midst of a boom.

Al Tajir formed many good connections with investors from one of the GCC countries who bought hundreds of land plots in Oman, according to documents by public prosecution.

Al Tajir was a broker in a real estate company and earned hundreds of thousands as commissions. Later, as the prices of land plots fell down drastically due to the recession in 2009, investors brought lawsuits against him.

The court had sentenced Al Tajir to three years jail and slapped a fine of 300 Omani riyals.

Social media has been abuzz since the statement, and has been demanding a reply from Al Tajir, who is in Germany now, besides demanding forming of a independent committee to probe and matter.

Meanwhile, the Al Tajir video related to the case has gone viral with more than 130,000 hits within two days.

In the video, Al Tajir is seen explaining he was being manipulated by those officials, while affirming he has solid evidence like recordings, invoices and photos of officials involved in corruption.

He said explained he wanted only the authorities concerned to hear him.

In one of the photos, Al Tajir was awarded by the Omani attorney general after his case was filed in Omani courts

— Saif Said is a journalist based in Muscat