Paying money to an intermediary in exchange for transferring the wife

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. My wife was appointed five years ago to a position outside the city of Riyadh, and I was unable to have her transferred. I know that teachers with less service than hers have been transferred to Riyadh. So I found an intermediary who asked for a large sum of money, saying, "I will review her papers and transfer her." What is the ruling on this? And should I pay him the money?

Answer:
This is a bribe. This is a liar, the reviewer. It is agreed upon by the two parties that he takes the money from one side and they look at his wife. The reviewer has no authority to look at his wife. We do not consider it possible for him to look at his wife, except for the employees and ministers. He has no power to look at his wife. What makes him claim to transfer his wife and take money from him? It is only because he has an agreement with the officials. They said, "Bring the money, and we will arrange it and share the money." You must never pay this. They are falling into this matter. They are sitting as brokers, going around to people and telling them, "We will transfer the one you want transferred, on the condition that you give us a sum of money." Now, you are a person from outside the market; how do you transfer? The transfer is not in your hands; it is in the hands of the officials, unless he is colluding with them so that they share this money with him.