What is the ruling on an engineer and his family visiting a material supplier, with the supplier bearing the costs, and what is the ruling on increasing the payment to the contractor beyond what has actually been executed, and what is the ruling on signing a project inspection report with a backdate to help the contractor avoid delay penalties?

Firstly, the contractor may be charged for the visit costs if there is an agreement or custom to that effect. However, the engineer's family expenses may not be charged to the contractor or supplier, as this could resemble bribery and affect the engineer's trustworthiness. The engineer must bear his family's expenses himself.

Secondly, supervisors are not permitted to write unrealistic certificates about completed work to assist the contractor, even if it is to expedite his payments. The supervisor's role is limited to supervision and testifying to the reality, and they have no involvement in the financial matters between the two parties.

Thirdly, the contractor is obligated to pay the agreed-upon delay penalty to the employer if the employer suffers damage from the delay and the delay was due to the contractor's negligence. However, if the delay was due to an act of God or the employer, there is no penalty. Supervisors must testify to the reality in all cases, unless backdating the report is the only way to prevent injustice to the contractor in cases where he is not liable for the penalty.