Corruption is Everywhere - and Definitely in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered an anti-corruption crackdown that's recovered $107 billion in assets, a report said Wednesday. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo
(UPI) -- Investigators in Saudi Arabia said they've recovered $107 billion stemming from a number of corruption cases that were exposed by a year-long investigation.
An anti-corruption committee submitted its final report Saudi King Salman Wednesday. It showed the money was recovered in assets from corruption cases including real estate, securities and cash.
The inquiry was ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November 2017 and led to the detention of many high-profile Saudi individuals for months at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel.
The report said 381 people were subpoenaed by investigators, and some testified. Eighty-seven people confessed to charges that resulted in settlements, the royal court said.
Due to existing criminal charges, the public prosecutor refused to settle the cases of 56 people. Eight have been referred to public prosecution for further legal action after refusing to settle.
Those detained without an indictment were released, the court said.
The committee said it has completed the work and was granted permission by the king to close the investigation.
King Salman pledged the nation will "continue its efforts to preserve integrity, combat corruption, and empower law enforcement and other relevant state bodies so that they are able to effectively practice their role in preserving public funds."
'Preserving integrity' assumes it was there to begin with. $107bn worth of corruption makes it obvious it never was.
It would be interesting to know what motivated bin Salman to clean up the corruption. Could it be his religion? Could it simply be money? If it's religion, how does that fit with his, almost certain, ordering the death of Jamal Khashoggi?
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